Farmers, Florists, and Fate
by Lia Kada
Summary: Lillian has recently been forced to moved to Bluebell and finds unexpected love while trying to find her place and reconcile the two villages. Based off of Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns/Twin Villages game.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I took one last great deep breath as the bus shuddered and halted to a stop, quavering nearly as much as I was. The bright spring sun was beginning its descent to the west, and the sky was a brilliant watercolor painting of pink, orange, and blue.

But I wasn't paying attention to any of this, mainly because I was lifting my iPhone as high as my painfully short arms could reach in a pitiful attempt to get cell phone service.

"Don't try," the old, stocky driver said gruffly. "Ain't no one in these parts who knows what that chunk o' metal even is, I reckon."

My jaw dropped. "It's the twenty-first century!" I exclaimed.

"Not here, it ain't," he smiled. I winced at his lack of teeth. "Why's a city gal like you even visiting this ol' place?" he asked curiously as he began to unload my overstuffed bags from the small bus, which resembled something like a tin-can on wheels. "And why'd ya pack so much? This place ain't nothin' special."

"I don't believe that's any of your business," I mumbled, handing him a crumpled fifty dollar bill from my pocket. "Thanks for the ride."

"I ain't ever seen this much money in my life!" he smiled. I winced once more.

"Well, enjoy it. How do I get to civilization from here?" I asked, looking around at the luscious green flora. Fields of tall-grass and flowers and trees extended in all directions. I could see misty mountains in the distance and hear the rush of a waterfall. Birds were chirping loudly and crickets buzzing. I felt like I was in a nature movie. I breathed in deeply. The air was oddly sweet. I was used to smelling smoke or sewer water with each breath I took. I grinned with childish delight until I remembered my phone.

"Rutger and Ina'll be here any minute, missus. Now if ya don't mind, I got some business to take care of back in Battery City. G'bye, now," he said, re-entering the croaking vehicle.

"Goodbye," I said nervously. I was afraid of the dark and of isolation, and this place seemed to contain plenty of both. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, ma'am," he said, and drove off, back up the bumpy road we came from.

I tried once more to get service, even restarting the phone. "Come on, AT&T, don't fail me now!" I hissed angrily.

"Are you okay?" a woman's voice asked.

Looking up abruptly, I saw a middle-aged Asian woman with porcelain skin and ebony hair, clad in crimson silk robes. She had a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing," I insisted quickly.

"What's going on, Ina?" an elder man asked crossly from a few yards back. He had a perfectly waxed mustache and balding blonde hair underneath a green cap. His piercing blue eyes looked as confused as Ina's onyx eyes.

"It's the girl we've been told about, Rutger," Ina called to him, sounding slightly annoyed.

Rutger approached, followed by a beautiful white horse, the kind I've only seen on the Internet.

"I'm Lillian," I said rather anxiously, extending my hand. Ina and Rutger shook it, equally firmly. Ina seemed very strong, and it scared me. Were all the women that strong here?

"If you're trying to get a phone to work, don't bother," Rutger laughed, taking it from my hand and throwing it into the forest.

"We don't have phone service here. Never saw a need for it. We have an efficient postal service," Ina explained when she saw my beyond-shocked expression. My jaw dropped so greatly it felt as though it had unhinged.

"Sorry, Lillian," Rutger said, still smiling. Let's get your things to Bluebell, then?" he asked casually, looking at my leather suitcases and raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no you don't, Rutger," Ina almost shouted, her thin lips curved into a frown. It was completely dark now, but her skin was seemingly glowing. "Let's give her the full story and then let her choose! It's the only fair way, and you know it!"

"Fine," Rutger grumbled. "I'll give you the honors."

"Lillian," Ina began rather smugly, "Hundreds of years ago, there was an argument between two peoples that resided in this area. One group lived in the village of Bluebell, and the other in the neighboring village of Konohana. The two villages were connected by a tunnel, and were formerly very close and neighborly. But this argument, they could not get past. The tunnel is now closed off, though you can still travel from one village to another by traveling across the mountain."

"What was the argument about?" I asked curiously. I was right; it is like a movie. Too bad movies end in two hours, and then I can go back on Facebook.

"Food," Rutger and Ina said simultaneously.

I laughed. They scowled.

"You can't be serious. Food's just food," I said, stifling another bout of giggles.

"Not here," Rutger said seriously.

"Bluebell was crazy enough to think that their food was better than ours!" Ina said.

"We have fresh animal products daily! All you have are leaves and flowers. Where's the taste in that?" Rutger growled.

"Just because we're a crop-centered town and you're a livestock-centered town doesn't mean your food's better than ours!" Ina shouted.

"Let's not get started. We in Bluebell know we're the best, and that shows in our cooking festival results," Rutger said arrogantly.

"It's getting late," Ina grumbled. "Just let Lillian chose where she would like to live."

They looked at me expectantly.

I thought for a moment. I liked Rutger. He was quick-witted and funny and competitive and reminded me of my grandfather, God rest his soul. Ina was a bit too intimidating for my liking. On top of that, I was great with animals. My parents were veterinarians, so I figured I'd be more comfortable in a livestock-oriented town. I was afraid Ina would punch me once I announced my choice in town.

The crickets made the awkward silence even more pronounced, and the feeling of anxiety between everyone was nearly tangible.

"Er... I'd like to stay in, um, Bluebell for now," I announced, the words crawling out unevenly, like the squeaks of the birds.

"Aha! I knew it," Rutger said, smiling and patting my bag. "I even brought a pony for you, to begin your life as a farmer in Bluebell!"

Ina looked disappointed, which was worse than anger, and made me feel thoroughly uneasy. I felt chills echo through my body, though it was quite warm out, and I was wearing a thick woolen cardigan. Once she regained her composure, she spoke in her proud, mature tone, "Just wait, Rutger. She'll move to Konohana by the end of the season. You didn't even mention the calendar differences between here and most of civilization."

"What?" I asked, expecting the worst. This was such a primitive little place, especially for a sixteen year old like me. It was something I'd read about in history books.

"We don't have twelve months to split up the year; instead, we use the seasons to cut it up," Ina explained before Rutger had a chance to.

"What is this place? Where am I?" I asked, not intending to be rude, just curious.

"Your parents didn't tell you?" Rutger asked, astonished.

"No. In fact, they went amazingly out of their way to keep it from me," I said, blushing. They must have thought that I was some sort of delinquent for being shipped off here.

"Well, I won't spoil the fun," Rutger said with a wink. Before I could answer, he continued. "Let's go to your cottage. Jessica's waiting with a cow and a chicken for you to start out with. Eileen just renovated everything. We've got a fresh change of clothes for you, because, well, you won't exactly fit in wearing sneakers and torn jeans. You do know how to care for animals, right?"

I nodded, and we began our walk to the village. He helped me mount the horse, which I named Luna, and taught me how to ride it.  
>It was so much to take in. I'd be starting a new life. A clean slate. It was overwhelming but relaxing at the same time. I could start from scratch here! I could define myself!<p>

"You were really confident that I'd choose Bluebell over Konohana," I noted as we approached the village.

"Well, I can't help but be confident about Bluebell. It's such an amazing little town. Bluebell produces only the best products from the best artisans. You'll do just fine, I'm sure," he declared proudly.

"I hope so," I said, not so surely.

"Help is always offered if anyone should need it," Rutger said, a twinkle in his eye. "We're quite a tight-knit group. There are, after all, only a handful of permanent residents in Bluebell..."

My eyes widened. "How many people? Fifty? One hundred? I'm from a city of millions. Millions!" I stressed. "I'm not a small town girl!"

Rutger chuckled uncomfortably. "You'll fit in just fine. You'll see, Lillian. Right now, you should get some rest. We've reached your cottage. It's been a long journey, but it's only the beginning," he said, and walked down the dirt-and-cobblestone path towards the heart of Bluebell.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I surveyed my small plot of land, my new home. The idea still felt foreign in my head; I couldn't believe that I'd gone from Chicago to _this_!

Thick, plump trees and growths of tall-grass filled in the gaps between the barn and a picturesque European-style cottage. A chicken coop was to the other side of the house, and I could hear the obnoxious cries of a hen from within the wooden walls. The barn and the coop each had small pens across from them. A minute patch of dirt was to the side of the house, most likely for growing plants. The dirt also foraged a path to the back of the cottage, where an empty fenced-in field was. The grass was unbelievably thick and the entire area was amazingly verdant.

I knew I should have been tired, but instead, I was hyper and energized. It had to be around seven at night, and what kind of loser goes to bed at seven? I giggled to myself, as most of the lights in the village were off as I walked through.

My pony began to walk towards the stables, so I accompanied her, absentmindedly petting her smooth, snowy coat. It had been less than an hour, yet I was completely comfortable with her. I suspected it had something to do with all of the horse movies I'd watched growing up, and the fact that my parents sometimes let me help them tend to the carriage-pulling horses in downtown when the elegant, strong creatures needed their vaccinations or check-ups.

Walking inside the stable, I noticed a stout, wrinkled woman who looked about my mother's age. She had a messy, mousy-brown bob and was wearing mismatched patterned dresses, and looked like she'd walked out of _Little__House__on__the__Prairie._

"You must be Lillian," she said warmly, extending a small, meaty hand.

"And you're Jessica. Pleasure," I responded.

"My, you're a skinny one! I've already made it my personal mission to fatten you up, dear," she said, smiling. I attempted to smile back, but getting fat wasn't exactly something I was looking forward to.

She took no notice of my awkwardness, and began to show me around the barn, even giving me a full-grown cow and teaching me how to milk it, brush its fur, and feed it, along with care instructions for my pony, Luna. "My children and I run an animal shop in town. Right past the shipping bin, across from Grady's. You can't miss it. You'll get everything you need for your animals there after you run out of the fodder I've given you," she elucidated in her kind, motherly voice. "I'm sure you'll do just fine as a farmer, though, my son's the best," she added boastfully.

"I'm sure he is," I said honestly. "I'm very new to this. Very."

"Oh, don't you dare worry about a thing," she pressed, then walked me to the coop, where she gave me a hen and chicken feed. "This one lays one egg per day. She's a real beauty, isn't she?"

I was unsure of how a chicken could be beautiful, but nodded nonetheless. "Thank you for all of this," I said, meaning every word of it more than she could know. Now, I knew I wouldn't be _completely_ lost.

"Oh, pish-posh, Lillian! It's been nearly a decade since the last new family moved here! Everyone's so excited to meet you!" she squealed, hugging me tightly. She reeked of manure and flowers, an odd combination, though I was sure I'd smell the same within a few days.

I gulped. I wasn't a people person.

"We're all very friendly! Like one big family! Now, run off to bed. You've got a big day ahead of you," she said. "Goodnight!"

I smiled weakly as I walked from the coop to my cottage. I noticed that the doors didn't have locks, and immediately, my mind came to the worst possible courses of action.

Would I get robbed? Murdered on my first night in Bluebell? I broke into a cold sweat, and collapsed onto my large and unexpectedly comfortable bed. The quilt was thick and soft, reminiscent of the bedspread I'd had in Chicago.

I noticed a heap of clothing at the foot of the bed, along with a note written in fancy cursive.

_Lillian,_

_Here's some traditional Bluebell attire for you, sewed by my wife, Rose._

_Enjoy!_

_Rutger_

I slid out of my city-girl outfit and tried on the crimson dress. It started out normal, then went puffy from the waist-down. The outfit came with a vest to go over it, and on a nearby chair were brown lace-up boots were waiting for me to try on. I looked like a woman from seventeenth-century Germany, though there was no mirror in the two-room cottage to confirm my worst fears. It was comfortable, but I just felt laughable wearing it.

The main room of the house included my bed, a dresser, filled with similar clothing, a bookshelf, a calendar with various birthdays and festival dates marked on it that I didn't care to read, a small kitchen, and an oak table with two chairs.

And, in case you were wondering, the second room is the bathroom.

_What planet am I on?_

Tears leaked from my eyes as I, a mere sixteen year old girl, realized that I was all alone in a town of strangers, destined to run a farm. Why would my parents send me here? What possessed them to think that this was good for me?

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the heavy wooden door. Who would bother to knock when it was unlocked? I hesitated, wondering if I should feign slumber to get the unwanted visitor to leave, when they knocked again, this time a bit louder.

Forcing a straight face, I quickly wiped the hot tears from the corners of my eyes and got up. I knew I looked ridiculous, but I figured that everyone else did, too, so it was less embarrassing. At least now, I'd fit in. Something I never could do in high school.

I opened the door quickly. A pretty, pale girl about my age with wide blue-green eyes and flaxen hair fashioned into a knot on top of her head was standing across from me, grinning widely.

"Hi! You must be Lillian! I'm Laney," she greeted me.

"Nice to meet you," I replied, though my voice was unsteady.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her smile shifting to a look of concern. "Oh, I didn't mean to bother you!" she said rapidly, frowning as she saw my red, puffy eyes.

I shook my head hastily. "I'm just a little... homesick," I said. "And scared."

"I understand," she said sympathetically. "After my mother died, my father and I moved here, and though I was only five, I remember being mad about it. I threw tantrums every day for weeks!"

I was surprised she was opening up to me so quickly, but glad I had someone to talk to. "I'm sorry about your mom," I said sheepishly. My problems dimmed in comparison to hers. I couldn't imagine my mom dying. It would be too horrible, no matter how upset I was with her for sending me here.

"Thank you," Laney said, not looking sad at all. "Just remember, everything happens for a reason. Don't be scared. I'm assuming you're not comfortable with the unlocked door. But there's never been a single crime committed here, you know. It's a small little safe haven. There are verbal arguments between the two villages, but nothing more."

"That makes me feel a bit better," I smiled, my tears totally disappearing as I blinked. Laney had a bright, friendly aura about her. Her eyes were always smiling, and from her red sweater to long plaid skirt, she seemed like quite the popular, preppy girl.

"My pleasure. You'll be a great farmer. I know it. And since my dad and I run the café, we made something to welcome you to Bluebell," she said.

"Really? You didn't have to," I replied quickly.

"It's fun to cook! I've had my fair share of practice, working at the café and participating in the cooking festivals four times a month!"

"Cooking festivals?" I asked curiously. I must have sounded so stupid.

"Oh, you don't know? Four times a month, the two villages gather at noon on the mountaintop. Three people from each village enter a dish corresponding to that festival's theme, and someone judges the food and determines which has better food," Laney explained.

"Food's taken really seriously here," I noted. "I don't get it."

"I didn't either at first," Laney admitted. "But food is really all there is, you know? You farm for food to cook with and eat. What else is there to do? There's no school, not a whole lot of electricity... I only know what the Internet is because I visited my cousins in Battery City last summer!"

I shuddered, and then we laughed in unison. I was beginning to really like Laney. She was talkative and friendly and surprisingly normal.

"Well, we got off track. Here's the gift, Lillian," she said, handing me a bag of thick chocolate-chip cookies she pulled from the pocket of her stained apron. "Food always makes me feel better when I'm upset. Enjoy!"

"Thank you. For everything," I said genuinely.

"No problem!" she insisted kindly. "It's getting late. Dad'll get worried if I stay out so late. I'd best be getting home. Come by the café tomorrow at eleven and I'll give you a town tour, gossip and rumors included! It was nice meeting you. Goodnight!"

"See you tomorrow," I said as she disappeared into the dark night, down the path that curved from my plot of land into the town. I was anxious for her town tour, along with doing some exploring of my own.

I decided it was best to end the day on a positive note. I slipped out of my dress, threw on a nightshirt from my suitcase, gathered my caramel-colored cascades of hair into a messy plait, and cocooned myself under the thick blanket; it made me feel safe and sound.

My mind, whirring with exciting thoughts of possibilities and scenarios involving my new life, didn't allow me to rest until a slight drizzle began at nearly eleven-thirty, and the calm and even pitter-patter of rain droplets on the thin roof of the cottage rocked me into a world of dreams like a baby in her mother's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The high-pitched singsong chirps of birds woke me up when the sky was still a deep grey and the cottage - I tried not to call it _my_cottage yet, that would make it too real - was bitterly cold and so dark I could hardly see a foot in front of me. I guessed it was about five or six o'clock. Much too early. I yawned deeply, still tired, but with the continuous bird-songs from outside, I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep, so I decided I might as well start the day. It'd be a long one either way.

I dressed quickly in a plaid orange skirt and button-down blouse with a warm sweater-vest to go over, and released my hair from the frizzy plait I'd arranged it in, instead combing through it with a comb I'd brought with (thank God I did; I highly doubted Rutger would supply me with one) and let it hang down, brushing my shoulders. Next, I slid on thick stockings and laced up my leather boots. I looked like a cult member, I was sure, but that didn't matter. It's not like I had anyone to impress in this town, if it was even big enough to be called a town.

Sighing as I gathered some possessions into my beige canvas rucksack, my stomach growled loudly. _Food,_I remembered. I got up and searched through the oak cabinets lining the wall. They were empty, as I had suspected. I didn't mind - I wouldn't have eaten whatever might have been in there either way. Besides, I had packed some food in my suitcase. City girl food. Familiar food. Junk food that would probably give me cancer in twenty years.

I pulled out some strawberry frosted pop-tarts from my suitcase, parked next to my dresser, and peeled off the thin silver wrappings. This was my kind of breakfast. I nibbled on them, savoring the delicious, artificial flavor that was probably so hard to come by in these parts. As I ate, I decided I'd go explore Bluebell. Knowing these freaks, they'd probably all be awake, anyways.

After quickly brushing my cow and horse and releasing them, along with my chickens, into their pens to forage for food, I walked down the path that led from my property to the rest of Bluebell, still nibbling on the next pop-tart. Processed food was so good, I decided I wouldn't mind getting a heart attack from it. It tasted almost more scrumptious than usual, seeing as once I ran out of my stash, I wouldn't have any more for a long, long time.

The road curved left abruptly, and forked after a few yards. One prong led south, probably down and out of the village. The path to the right led to a building that appeared to be a church with beautifully stained glass windows and beautiful flowerbeds, the path left led to a large and intricately decorated box, and the final road led ahead, where more buildings stood. I guessed that this was the heart and soul of Bluebell, and followed that road down, observing every little detail around me, attempting to absorb and memorize everything.

To my immediate right was a large pen where horses frolicked, connected to a stable. There were all sorts of pretty horses, from great chestnut-colored ones to smaller white ponies like my own. I heard a young girl and a man arguing from inside the stable, though I didn't get a peek at their faces. Something about whether or not a horse was ready to be put up for sale yet. I wasn't particularly interested, as I already had my own horse, and looked to the left. A small, fairy-tale cottage like my own was erected there, a small sign that read "Jessica's Livestock" nailed onto the door. I could hear the squawks of chickens and bleatsof sheep in the back, and the pungent odor of animal waste quickly filled my nostrils, much to my disgust. I realized that this must be where Jessica and her family lived, and that the pen across from me belonged to Grady and a girl, probably his daughter.

I decided to go visit Jessica. I still had time before Laney's tour, I was sure; the sun had only just begun its climb on its mission to ignite the world with light. It couldn't have been past seven.

I knocked apprehensively on the wooden door, hoping that Jessica and her family were awake. Within two seconds, Jessica opened the door and welcomed me in politely.

"Lillian! How was your first night in Bluebell?" she asked, actually concerned. "That drizzle put the animals in a right state…"

"I enjoyed the rain, actually. It put me to sleep," I admitted, blushing. "Should I have checked on my animals?"

"Oh, dear, maybe you should have. You did check this morning, right?" she inquired anxiously.

I nodded. "They seemed fine, though I haven't milked the cow yet. I'm not exactly sure how."

Jessica frowned, then turned around and called, "Ash! Come over here, will you, sweetie?"

"But mooom! He's playing with me!" a young girl shrieked behind a closed door.

"Cheryl, go have breakfast! Ash, come here, now," Jessica ordered. I was surprised at how forceful she could be when necessary, as she seemed like a mild-mannered woman to me.

A small girl, no older than ten, emerged from the room and locked her eyes on me, as if deciding what to make of me. I realized that I was still holding a pop-tart wrapped in remnants of foil, and how odd that might look to someone. I tucked it into my rucksack.

"Cheryl, this is Lillian. She just moved to Bluebell!" Jessica said cheerfully.

Cheryl, without saying another word, ran into the kitchen, her long ginger pig-tails streaming behind her.

"Sorry about that," Jessica said, chuckling. "She's been known to hold temporary grudges on anyone who prevents her from playing with her brother for even a second. He's spoiled her that way."

"Ma, what did you need?" a boy about my age, perhaps a bit older, asked, appearing behind us. The first thing I noticed about him were his prominent blue-grey eyes, partially covered by his shaggy strawberry-blonde hair, which he continuously had to run his fingers through to free his eyes of their wrath.

I nearly choked trying to contain my amusement once I saw his outfit. He wore brown leather boots like mine, but also wore loose-fitting Capri-pants and suspenders. His clean cotton button-down shirt was neatly tucked in, and he wore crimson fingerless gloves. He was carrying a matching plaid cap in his hands, and was judging me just as much as his sister was.

"Ash, I'd like you to meet Lillian," Jessica said, pushing him forward.

I extended a hand, still biting my inner cheek to keep from snorting with laughter. He hesitated for a split-second, then took it and shook vigorously.

Jessica spoke before I could. "Lillian doesn't know how to milk a cow," she said, on the edge of hysteria - laughter or tears, I couldn't tell. Ash's jaw dropped slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I'll go help her out and be back in a jiffy. Tell Cheryl I'll play with her after I help out Lillian and tend to the animals out back," Ash instructed.

"You always give her what she wants…" Jessica sighed. Ash blushed.

"You know how she gets," Ash replied, and then led me out of their home and back down the path towards my plot of land. It had warmed up slightly, and buttery rays of sunshine began to coat the village.

"So how do you like Bluebell so far?" Ash asked. He seemed quite friendly.

"It's… nice," I said, though I was sure my expression read otherwise.

"I've lived here my entire life. I can't imagine anything different," he replied.

I was dumbstruck. It just dawned on me that these people have never seen the world, and that bothered me for some reason. "There's so much out there!" I exclaimed. "Have you at least been out of this village?"

"Nah, why would I? Everything I need is here. My mom. My sister. My animals. My farm. Why is that so shocking?"

"It's just…" I began, unsure how to avoid insulting him, "there's so much more out there than _this_!"

We had reached the barn. Ash was looking at me as though I was a creature from another planet. I practically was.

"Sorry if I made you feel bad," I said hastily, embarrassed.

"It's fine. Not everyone's cut out for the life of a farmer. I might just give you a run for your money," he said, grinning, yet something told me he wasn't joking at all.

As we entered the barn, he took the milker, a jar, and a stool from the cabinet and taught me how to set it up and milk it neatly into the jar so there were no spills. I thought I might vomit. The contents of the clear glass jar were chunky, and yellow, and flecked with bits of what definitely wasn't milk! Cow milk looked nothing like the milk I drank.

"What's wrong?" he asked me, looking slightly upset.

"Is that _milk_?" I whispered.

"Of course it is. My mom uses it to make her village-famous strawberry tarts!" he insisted.

I almost laughed. Such an evil twist of fate.

"No," I said, almost shakily. "This," I said, pulling my pop-tart from my canvas bag, "is a strawberry tart. And milk is thin and white and clean and smooth and delicious!"

"What is that?" Ash asked quizzically, pointing at the pop-tart.

"Delicious, processed, perfect, carcinogen-filled city food!" I nearly shouted.

"I didn't really understand half of what you said," Ash said, looking down awkwardly.

"That might be because-" I stopped. I was close to being very, very rude, and decided I had already been ill-mannered enough. "Never mind. I'm sorry. Thanks for teaching me how to - er - _milk_ a cow." I still couldn't believe that milk was what was coming from those utters.

Putting away the materials, we worked in uncomfortable, stifling silence that tortured me more so than the scent of cow and horse feces.

Ash spoke suddenly.

"Why don't you just go back to the city, then?"

"What?" I could barely believe that he was asking me that. My second day here and someone wanted me gone. Deep down, I knew, however, that I could hardly blame him.

"If you hate it so much here, just go back to wherever it was you came from. No one's forcing you to be here."

After seeing the expression on my face, I was sure he understood how wrong he was.

He left without another word.

The sun rose.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

As soon as he left, so fast he nearly tripped over himself, I banged my head against the barn's wall and groaned. I couldn't believe I had already fought with someone from Bluebell, someone who seemed like a fairly decent boy, however odd he might be. I needed to fix this, though I had no idea how. If I were in Chicago, I'd probably go meet him at a pizza place and apologize ask him if we were cool with each other, but this was another planet entirely.

The dazzling rays of light warmed the earth, and I began to sweat underneath my woolen sweater. I tore it off and stuffed it into my rucksack. I immediately felt cooler and calmer, though the air was a bit stuffy and too musty for my liking.

After some time, though I couldn't put a finger on how much, exactly, I decided I would walk to the mountains for a much needed breather rather than fester in a barn full of animal excretion. My mind briefly wandered upon the fact that I didn't know my way through the mountains, then quickly cast that aside, remembering that I didn't particularly care.

I took one last deep breath and sprinted from the barn to the road leading to the mountains, anxious to get out of sight before I could be spotted by Ash. What if he told Jessica and Cheryl about our disagreement? That family was most likely about half of the town. I mentally punched myself.

Konohana was on the other side of the mountain; I was eager to meet the villagers from over there. Maybe we'd get along better. However, I doubted that I'd be able to climb half the mountain, let alone up and down the whole thing twice. It wasn't particularly large or steep, but coming from the city, the closest thing to a mountain I'd ever climbed was the jungle-gym on my grammar school playground.

Once I was out of sight, masked by a wall of lush plant-life and the sudden jagged pieces of land sticking up and forming hills to my left, I began to slow down and catch my breath. I nearly doubled over once I regained my composure and began to look around - everything was so bright and beautiful, glowing in the early morning sun.

To my right, a terraced hill led to a small brook, filled with jumping fish and ducks and surrounded by more deciduous plant-life. The hill to my left was also terraced and led to a plateau brimming with fruit-trees, flowers, bushes and shrubs stocked with various herbs, and mushrooms of small and great sizes. Ahead of me, the path up the mountain went on for what looked like at least a mile, though it was slightly misty, so I couldn't be sure.

I sucked in the brisk countryside air and continued walking, the globs of spongy spring earth beginning to cake on my boots.

The mountain was proving to be an easy climb, but it took a while for me to reach the top mainly because there was so much to see. I even gathered some pretty-looking flowers and sat down for a while just to listen to the rushing stream. It sounded even nicer than it had in those nature sound tapes my mom listened to when she wanted to relax.

Finally, I was sure that I had reached the highest point. There was a gated off area smacked directly on the northernmost tip of the mountain, and I cautiously approached the mesa. I had always been slightly scared of heights, and this gated-off area was much like a cliff - all I could see over the edge was mist and mountains far off in the distance, though my fears were dampened by the beauty that was this view from the mountaintop.

Rolling hills extended to infinity, and the sun was tinting everything a shade of amber. Purple, snow-capped mountains shot up like daggers in the distance, and the small stream fed into a huge, raging river I could see somewhere below me. Thick forests masked much of the ground, and I could hear the echoes of chirping birds even from hundreds of feet below me.

"I'm not in Chicago anymore," I whispered to myself. In fact, I was nowhere near Chicago. Hundreds of thousands of miles, maybe. I wondered how long it would take for me to get a letter from my parents, then decided not to dwell on such depressing thoughts. They sent me away. They probably didn't want me. Why would they write?

Frowning, I began my descent. It had to be near eleven o'clock now, and I wouldn't want to miss Laney's tour of such a grand town. I smiled slightly to myself. This was my life, so I might as well enjoy it. There had to be other boys in town besides Ash. This could be just like high school, except this time, I'd be the smartest.

Suddenly, I heard a strident sound somewhere in the distance that reminded me of a motorcycle engine revving, yet I was sure that there would be no motorcycles here. I began dashing down the mountain, fearing the unknown. Whatever that noise was, it didn't sound friendly, and I wanted to get out before I met someone or something unfamiliar.

The sound became clearer and clearer, indicating that whatever was making it was coming closer, despite the fact that I was sprinting full-speed down the mountain. This thing was fast.

Beads of sweat quickly poured from my face and my heart beat with the speed of a racecar - or should I say race-horse? - and I screamed with fear as I realized that whatever it was, it was right behind me.

I was scared to turn around and accept my fate, now that I knew that I was being followed. I'd always watched TV programmes about mass murderers who bury their victims in forests. Would that happen to me? I could almost feel my face turning a sickly shade of white. That had only happened twice in my life - the first time being when a German Shepherd bit my leg as a young child and I was convinced I was going to die, and the second time being right now.

I swiveled around speedily, and gasped as I realized that I stood face to face with what I presumed was some sort of wild boar. But this was no Pumba. It was huge, nearly my height and probably thrice as heavy, with menacing tusks and matted fur stained with a ruby substance I prayed wasn't what I thought it was.

I would have screamed had I been able to _think_, yet I seemed incapable of that, also. I backed away slowly as soon as I could will my legs to move. My mind was suddenly racing - what would I do? Make a run for it? Obviously this thing could outrun me. It was adapted to mountain life, and it had gone from being miles away to inches away in a matter of minutes.

Yet, now was not the time for rational decisions. Saying a last prayer, I dropped my overstuffed bag and ran for my life, literally, still not a fourth of the way to the foot of the mountain.

I might've escaped from the boar, too, had it not been for my natural clumsiness - in some sort of devilish twist of fate, my foot caught on a knotted tree root, and I fell, face forward. My ankle felt as though it had been stabbed with a thousand needles, but there was a more pressing matter. The boar was approaching.

I felt a warm, wet substance leak from my nose, and touched it cautiously. My hands instantly became clammy as I realized it was blood. I'd never had a nosebleed before, not ever. I had never broken a single bone. Did they have a hospital here? For some reason, I doubted it.

I attempted to get up and run again, still not willing to accept that I'd most likely die out here.

"On my first day, too," I murmured deliriously as I nearly stood, then fell on my arse as my ankle gave out from under me, and I was splayed out, bent at an awkward, unnatural angle, still in the cool, dewy grass. "I thought I was doing well."

The boar, most likely feeling sympathetic and wishing to put me out of my misery, made one last charge and rammed its tusks into my limp and helpless body as I shrieked and cried with pain as all the events of the last two minutes finally caught up with me.

I was going to die.

How could this happen? How could things change so quickly? I really shouldn't have offended Ash. None of this would have happened if I weren't an idiot.

I imagined the looks on my parents' faces when they found out.

I hoped that they wouldn't feel guilty.

The edges of my line of vision were dotted with red and then slowly shifted to a complete and total white.

The last thing I saw before they shut was a flash of purple and another scream, though I realized that it was probably my own.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Heads up, she doesn't die and this is nowhere near the end. Review, please? Thanks!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

That was the first thing I heard as I came to. The sound echoed like dull vibrations coming from miles away. The first thing I felt were my eyelids. My eyelids were heavy. "I'm worried."

There was that voice again! The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't put a name to it.

"She'll be fine, thankfully. You've been here all day," noted a girl in a peppy, bubbly voice. "Why?"

The girl was Laney. I smiled, or at least, tried to. I must've been found by Laney and taken to her house. At least I was alive and in good hands. I was too tired and sore to care about the details right now, or to consider how embarrassing this was.

"I don't know," the other voice replied quickly. "It-It's just kind of... scary. This has never happened to a villager before." Their name was on the tip of my tongue, but it seemed as though my brain was moving with the speed of Internet Explorer.

Everything was so weighty, pressing down on me. My breathing was slow, and calm, and I couldn't make it go faster. I felt like I was getting just enough oxygen to survive, but not enough to think clearly.

"I know," she said. "But there's nothing you can do here. Go home. It's late."

"I guess you're right. I still have to go take care of her animals. Her horse wasn't on the mountain with her. Maybe it could have helped her get away. But no use dwelling on what could have been, you know? Goodnight, Laney."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow!"

Colors began to creep under my eyelids, like they were becoming lighter, but I was still too weak to open them. This was so frustrating. I tried to raise my hand to pry them open, but my arm was just as heavy as my eyelids. I tried to scream, but my lips felt like a thousand pounds.

Upset and tired and unwilling to think, I drifted off into a black, dreamless sleep.

"Good morning, sunshine!" a deep male voice exclaimed. "Well, it's really four thirty in the evening, but who's counting?"

I woke up abruptly to the unfamiliar voice. Everything was so light.

Light! My eyes were beginning to open, but all I could see were deep golden rays of sun. My entire body was in dull pain, so sore. I wanted to cry out, but I couldn't.

"Laney! Cam! She's awake!" the man said, and I heard light footsteps prance down a staircase.

My eyes were wide open now. I began to take in my surroundings, my brain steadily gaining speed. I was in a small, well-lit room with a large window and cute striped curtains with a window-box full of roses. The bed I was in was extremely fluffy and soft and a floral quilt shielded me from the bitter cold. Light rain was beating like a drum on the roof and window. I smiled. I loved the sound of rain. It was beautifully distracting. It brought be back to Saturday mornings in Chicago curled up in my bed, thanking God I didn't have to wake up early for school. I was so lost in thought that I wasn't paying attention to the three people standing next to me, all looking quite anxious.

I looked over and focused on them. There was a middle-aged man with curly blonde hair and a square-ish face. He looked as though he was wearing cherry-red lip-stain and bubblegum pink blush. I would have burst out laughing, but a sharp pain pierced my chest the moment air began to rise from my lungs.

"Can you talk?" Laney asked softly. I just noticed her. Her pale eyes were wide with fear, and her apron was stained with crimson.

I opened my mouth and the first thing that was on my mind spilled out uncontrollably.

"Sorry for ruining your apron."

My voice was slightly raspy and quiet, but if I tried to talk louder, the stabbing pain in my chest became more prominent.

Laney laughed and the man and another boy I just noticed standing next to them sighed with relief.

I nearly lost my breath again when I saw the boy.

He had striking emerald eyes and under a purple cap were his locks of straight, shining chestnut hair that brushed his eyelashes. His skin was a flawless peach. The contours of his face were smooth and very European. He looked too immaculate to be real. He was, for lack of a better word, gorgeous.

I grimaced as I noticed that his lilac shirt was also stained with blood.

"What's wrong?" Laney asked hastily.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, and then, the mortification hit me. The entire village was probably gossiping about how I was stupid enough to get attacked by a wild boar on my first day in town.

"Don't be silly! It could have happened to anyone!" the older man insisted. "By the way, my name is Howard. Nice to meet you!"

Luckily, my vision was blurred with boiling tears, or I would have choked with laughter at the sight of such an odd man.

"That's my dad," Laney said proudly.

I couldn't believe it. How did such a weird man father Laney? She was so... normal, at least, for Bluebell's standard of the word.

My body convulsed awkwardly, attempting to fight off the intense pain in my core; I was suspended between laughter and tears.

"Don't cry, Lillian," Laney said in a motherly tone. "Just be thankful that Cam found you when he did."

"Who's C-Cam?" I asked after I calmed myself, my throat dry and face reddening, as I suspected that I already knew the answer.

"Hi," a boy not much older than I said quietly. He sounded reserved and rather aloof, and his eyes seemed to pierce and stun everything they met. I was no exception. "I'm Cam. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure," I mumbled, staring at his feet rather than his eyes. It felt like once he looked at me, he could read my mind. For a split second, Laney looked at me quizzically.

"Ooh, I bet you're dying to know what happened!" Howard squealed, breaking the awkward silence.

I groaned. "Crucified Chr-"

Howard interrupted and began rambling excitedly. "So Cam was walking on the mountain, since it was his day off, to pick up different flowers that grow there. He's a florist, you know! Runs a cute li'l shop right outside my café! So while he was walking, he heard the call of the wild boar! You know, no one's ever been attacked before! You're really something special, Lillian! Wild animal attacks are just scary stories the villagers tell their children so they know to be careful in the mountain and always bring a horse or a friend. Anyways, after he heard the call-"

It was Cam's turn to interrupt. He spoke firmly but rather softly. "I heard a scream. I followed it, found you half-dead, and brought you back here. You've been out since yesterday morning."

I imagined him carrying my bloodied body in his arms and nearly swooned. It was just like a movie. I didn't know whether to be immensely humiliated or extremely grateful.

"Thank you. You saved my life," I responded, the truth of those words hitting me like a bus. I would be dead if it weren't for him, rotting away on a remote mountain. There were all sorts of bugs and worms and vultures...  
>I shuddered.<p>

"Georgia rode to the Konohana Clinic and brought Doctor Ayame and her apprentice Hiro back over here, and they cleaned off the blood and stitched you right up!" Laney said joyfully. So they did have a hospital. "They're coming tomorrow to check up on you, and then they'll come on over again in a couple weeks when it's time for the stitches to come out," she added.

I shivered as I thought of blood and stitches and torn skin and broken bones. Human anatomy and hospitals always made me squeamish. When I regained my composure and breath, I spoke.

"Thank you all so much. I'm sorry for being a burden..."

"Nonsense!" Howard argued. "Cam sleeps just fine on the floor!"

Cam slammed his palm to his forehead and Laney looked at him angrily and asked, "Did you really have to mention that?"

"No, that's not fair! He saved my life and he gets to sleep on the floor?" I tried to shout, but my chest exploded with pain and it came out like a strangled sob.

"I knew she'd get like this. Ugh. Lillian-" Laney began, but I interrupted.

"Can... you help me... up?" I asked, already out of breath from trying to prop myself up into a sitting position.

"Don't be silly!" Laney replied. "Your ankle's sprained!"

As if on cue, I swung my feet off the bed and attempted to stand up before fully comprehending what Laney said. Pain shot up through my leg, and my ankle was swollen to the size of a large apple. I nearly tripped, but Cam extended a wiry arm just in time to support me until I was sitting up on his bed again.

"Damn it," I groaned, positive that my face was as red as my ankle. "Sorry."

"You lost a lot of blood. Give yourself a few days to recover," Cam ordered. "When I brought you, they all thought you were dead. Your skin was white as snow. At least, the parts that weren't covered in blood were."

I felt chills wave over me, and tears distorted my vision. I couldn't believe that this had happened to _me_.

It was all my parents' fault. Why would they send me, totally unprepared, to some faraway village where they knew I  
>wouldn't fit in? Where wild beasts roamed the mountains? Didn't they know I wasn't cut out for this? They turned my entire life upside-down! I filled with red-hot rage and inky black hate traveled through my veins into my heart. I hated them so much. I decided that I'd rather live in Bluebell alone than go back to Chicago to live with them.<p>

"We'll leave you alone now," Cam said, facing me, but I knew he was speaking to Howard and Laney, forcing them to give me some peace.

"Okay. Thanks again," I whispered, shutting my eyes to mask the tears. He walked out without another word, just a terse nod.

"I'll bring you some food in a bit. You must be starving!" Howard said.

"I'm not," I said truthfully. I couldn't think about eating at a time like this.

"Nonsense," Howard retorted, walking out.

"One more thing," Laney said after hesitating for a split second. "We've just got a fresh batch of stamps, and the mailman is going to Battery City today... Would you like to write to your parents?"

"No, thanks," I said firmly, without even pausing to think. She frowned, and walked out.

I picked at the turnip salad and cheese pie that Howard brought me. It was delicious, but I wasn't hungry. I set it aside after a few bites, too busy thinking about my new life here... and Cam. I couldn't get his face out of my mind. Thinking about him distracted me from the pain constantly rippling throughout my body.

The sun set.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The next week passed dreadfully slowly and rather uneventfully, the dull, grey, sky heavy and thick. Howard would continue to bring me delicious meals, and it was getting harder to resist inhaling all of it within a matter of seconds. Howard seemed to notice this, too, and was bubbling with joy whenever we spoke.

"Ooh, Lillian! You're getting some color back!" he would say every time he saw me. I smiled and thanked him for taking care of me. He was really starting to grow on me, despite his quirks.

Cam would lurk in the shadows, stopping by my room (really, his room) to ask me how I was feeling every night before he went to bed (on the floor; it made me cringe just thinking about).

I met the apprentice doctor, Hiro, an ever-smiling man probably a couple years older than me, though he resembled a prepubescent boy with hair that reminded me all too much of Justin Bieber's (only in a darker shade of brown) and his mentor Doctor Ayame, a thin, middle-aged lady with a pinched face wearing a deep v-neck shirt underneath her crisp white robes and sporting constantly tousled ebony hair (I wondered for a moment to my self if Hiro was really doing what it seemed he was doing in order to get the credentials to become a full-fledged doctor, but quickly scolded myself for even thinking that - they both seemed perfectly nice and respectable).

They had bandaged my ankle, stuffed me with vitamins and painkillers, and even took most of my stitches out. Unfortunately, I was conscious this time, and the painkillers weren't the strongest out there.

The soreness had gotten worse for a while but by the end of the week was slowly seceding. Laney had taken me for short walks around the town plaza, where her house, the town hall, and a couple of shops were located. I required crutches to walk, but was steadily gaining strength. She explained the bulletin board in front of the carpenter's shop for me. She said that people in town posted their requests on it, and if you brought them what they had asked for, they would barter you something for it. It seemed kind of primitive to me, but Laney said it was taken very seriously here, going so far as to claim that requests are why the world went round.

She introduced me to Eileen, a rather disheveled young woman who was also the town carpenter, and to Enrique, Diego, and Raul, three comical triplet merchants who ran general stores in both Bluebell and Konohana. She introduced me to Grady, a plump, middle-aged man I thought would be cute with Jessica, as they both ran animal-centered shops, and Georgia, his young, horse-loving niece. Lastly, Laney introduced me to Rose, Rutger's wife who tended to the flowerbeds located all around the plaza. Rose was an extremely amiable old lady with a flair for design that I truly appreciated. Laney joked that Cam spent more time talking to Rose about flowers than to anyone else in town.

"He's really serious about flowers," I observed as we watched him run his shop one sunny spring morning. It was humid, so I decided to wear my Chicago clothes, not being able to stand another damp day in woolen stockings and layered skirts. Wearing a loose pastel-blue button down tucked into torn, high-waist jean shorts with a braided leather belt, barefoot since my ankle wrap made wearing shoes on my right foot impossible, I was sitting with Laney and her friend Georgia, a rather annoying but nonetheless sweet redhead girl about two years my junior who seemed to be capable of only talking about horses and helping out her uncle Grady at his animal shop.

"Ever since Cam moved here and my dad took him in as his own," Laney replied.  
>"What happened to his parents?" I asked, a great rush of sympathy for Cam flowing through my heart. I wasn't happy with my parents right now, but I couldn't imagine not having parents to fall back on should I ever need them.<p>

"Why, what a great question. He doesn't talk about it. I'm not as much of a sister to him as everyone thinks," Laney admitted. "We're close, but we don't tell each other absolutely everything."

Georgia looked at him as though she was confused. "I've been in this here village for nearly seven years now, and I still don't know why all the girls get their panties in a twist about that boy," she sighed. "I reckon horses are more fun to be around than that man is."

I flushed deeply, praying none of them would notice. I then mentally slapped myself.

_You don't like him. You just think he's fit... and he saved your life..._

"What on earth are you wearing, Lillian?" Laney asked after a few moments of silence, genuinely curious.

"Since you and Howard finally allowed me to go home, I dressed in some lighter clothes! How are you breathing in that thick sweater?" I inquired.

"I'll sew those tears in your pants if you'd like," Laney offered.

"No, no, they're supposed to be torn! It's in style-"

"I don't see no fashion magazines for sale here," Georgia chuckled.

"These clothes are more comfortable," I responded tersely.

"Whatever floats your boat," Georgia said, giggling. Her thick Southern accent made everything she said cuter, even if she was the least bit aggravating. Suddenly, her amber eyes went wide with shock. "Well, I'll be damned! I forgot it was the cooking festival tomorrow!"

"The what?" I asked, but Laney had already begun speaking.

"How could you forget? We lost last season!" Laney exclaimed, borderline hysterical. "I've been planning my retaliation this whole week! Daddy and I are both entering, we've already talked to Mayor Rutger. So is Ash. We're going to win this time, I just know it. Everything we cook is delicious!"

"It's salad week, though, ain't it? How can you make a delicious salad?" Georgia frowned.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" I asked Georgia, but she was too far gone now. The two girls were in an intense discussion over the new regulations and what they would "submit" throughout the season. All I could make out was Georgia insisting that her fried rice was the best in the continent and Laney rambling on and on about her "to-die-for" sponge cake. Shaking my head, I hobbled away with my crutches. I decided I'd go check on my animals. I assumed Jessica had been taking care of them, and made a mental note to write her a thank you card should I ever get a hold of decent stationary.

The sun had reached its peak over the small but bustling town. I wistfully wondered what the villagers of Konohana were doing as I limped towards my farm. Was growing crops easier than tending to animals? What were their days like? Who lived there? Would I get along with the villagers there better than the ones here?  
>I frowned as I remembered I wouldn't be able to visit them for a while. Not only was I deathly afraid of going back on the mountain, I doubted that I was strong enough to mount and ride a horse on my own. I sighed, cursing myself for getting so critically injured so early on in the season.<p>

Season.

These Bluebell people and their odd little habits were rubbing off on me. I wondered what day it actually was. What were people at my school doing right now? What were my parents-

I stopped, lips quavering, guilt festering in my stomach. Should I have told my parents about my injury? Should I be angry at them?

"Lillian?" a voice asked cautiously. "Are you okay?"

My head, a million miles away, rocketed back to earth faster than the speed of light.

"W-What?" I stammered automatically, and, per usual, my shaking and unstable self accidentally lost grip of the crutches and stumbled and fell into a heap on the ground, ankle bending awkwardly beneath me. My face flushed scarlet before I could even have a proper conversation with who was speaking to me. That must have been some sort of new record for me. I was so embarrassed; not only for tripping and falling, but for getting caught zoning out like that. I had a bad habit of wearing my emotions openly for everyone to see; I was just built that way.

My embarrassment subsided as the pain from my ankle clouded most other emotions.

"Lillian! Your ankle!" the boy said, sounding sincerely scared. He placed his hands around my shivering waist and hoisted me up, and that's when I realized that it was Ash. If my face could have gotten any more red, I'm sure it would have.

"Sorry. Thanks," I mumbled quickly. It was all I could manage over my ankle's blinding pain. I didn't even have the heart to laugh at his outfit.

Still supporting me with a surprisingly strong arm, he reached over, picked up my crutches, and handed them to me speedily.

His deep, blue-grey eyes were contorted with worry. "Come inside, Lillian. My ma has pain-killer medicine she stocked up on when the doctor was in town."

I didn't have the strength to argue, so I let him support me as we walked inside his family's cottage.

"Ma!" Ash called, pulling up a cushioned wooden chair for me to sit in. I thanked him graciously, pain slowly seeping from my irritated ankle.

Jessica sprinted from their bedroom into the kitchen where we were waiting. "What could it be? The shop hasn't opened. It's barely nine-"

She stopped abruptly as she saw me, my face still heavily flushed. "Oh, dear, what seems to be the problem?" she asked, studying me thoroughly. She seemed a bit more aloof than our previous meeting. I wondered if Ash had told her anything about our small argument.

"Lillian tripped and hurt her ankle," Ash explained, fingering through a drawer in the kitchen in his search for pain-killers.

"Again?" Jessica grimaced. "Poor thing..." She lit the stove, heating an iron pot filled with milk. "Hot milk always soothes me when I'm feeling under the weather."

"You don't have to-" I began, but was interrupted quickly by Jessica.  
>"Nonsense." She stirred the pot gently.<p>

"I found something called ipub- ibufo- ibupron-" Ash attempted to announce, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Ibuprofen," I corrected automatically, though not trying to come off as pretentious. "Sorry," I added quickly. "Force of habit."

"Do they have this stuff a lot where you come from?" Ash asked curiously as he emptied a few orange pastilles into his hand and set them on the roughly cut wooden table in front of me.

"They're in every single convenience store," I answered, but he still looked perplexed. "Everyone has them," I clarified.

"Oh," he responded, slightly embarrassed.

Jessica seemed to sense the tension and broke the silence by saying, "Well, I'm going to chat with Grady for a bit. Make sure Cheryl's home by noon for lunch, Ash."

"Okay. Bye, ma," Ash said.

"Thank you!" I called behind her as she walked out.

"I'll pour us some hot milk," Ash offered, retrieving two mugs from a cabinet. "She makes it the best. Just the right temperature."

"Thanks," I said, feeling even more awkward then before, now that we were alone.

As he set down the porcelain mugs, a thin stream of steam rising from them, I swallowed the bitter ibuprofen.

"Sorry for being such trouble," I said after a few silent moments. Ash, seated across from me at the table, looked just as uncomfortable as I did.

"Of course you're not trouble. Life here can be hard at first," he assured me. For some reason, he was easy to trust. Maybe it was his friendly tone of voice, or the way his lips were constantly curved into a smile.

I sipped the hot milk. It was surprisingly bland, but Ash was guzzling his down. I was half-nauseous at the thought that this was the thick, straight-from-a-cow milk when a thought popped into my head.

"Ash, do you have any cinnamon?" I asked.

"Sure," he said, looking at me oddly. He got up, fished a small glass vial from a spice rack, and gave it to me, our hands brushing slightly.

"Your hands are so-" we spoke in unison-

"-cold," he frowned.

"-warm," I observed.

We both laughed awkwardly.

I poured a tad of the cinnamon into both our mugs, just like my mother always had when I was sick.

"What are you doing?" he asked, shocked.

"Try it!" I urged, sipping the more tasty and tangy version of Jessica's hot milk.

"Delicious!" Ash proclaimed, sampling the frothy drink. "You've got a real knack for cooking! I'd better see you in the cooking festival tomorrow!"

That phrase again!

"Ash, what is the cooking festival, exactly?" I asked slowly, afraid of sounding stupid.

"Oh, I didn't know no one had explained it to you yet. I'm sorry!" he said. "I'll fill you in. Four times a season, the two villages meet on the mountaintop to compete in a cooking competition. Three people from each village bring in a cooked dish, and they're judged by a chef from down south. He lives on a chain of islands or something. Basically, you have to ask Rutger if you want to submit a dish, and each festival has a different theme. Tomorrow's is salad. I'm submitting a turnip salad that Howard helped me perfect!" he explained with a grin. "You should submit something!"

"Oh! I remember someone explaining this to me before... Funny, it totally slipped from my mind. Actually, everything before the boar attack seems kind of hazy. But it all makes sense now," I said, recounting the discussion I had with Laney and Georgia to him.

Ash looked concerned about my memory problem for a moment, but then laughed, this time naturally. "I was confused about your outfit, too," he admitted.

"It's just easier to work in," I said, frustrated and feeling incredibly out of place.

"Hey, I didn't mean confused in a bad way!" he said defensively. "I think your outfit's cool. I don't know much about fashion, though... Cheryl always tries to explain it to me... And it's great that you're working today. I took care of your animals when you were hurt. They're all so kind and gentle!"

"You took care of my animals? You shouldn't have!" I replied, feeling guilty. He already had his own farm to tend to!

"I was just getting to know the competition," he said in that tone that made me question whether he was joking or not. "'Sides," he continued through sips of cinnamon-tinted hot milk, "Taking care of animals might be hard, but it's a job worth doing."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The excitement in the thick spring air was nearly tangible from the moment I woke up. There was a certain buzz filling the village and seeping over everything. In this country, Laney had told me, anybody who was anybody went to the cooking festivals.

Rutger instructed me to ride my pony to the mountaintop precisely at two o'clock. He hadn't asked me to submit a dish this time, as it was my first festival and I needed to get the hang of things. Besides, the theme was 'salads,' and the only salad I'd ever eaten was the kind you could order from McDonald's. I had mentioned this to Georgia, and she looked at me as if I was crazy, asking who McDonald was.

I dressed in my best outfit - a high-waist polka-dot skirt and a ruffled blouse. I didn't care if it was too fancy; I wanted to look good for my first impression on the villagers from Konohana. My scars had faded and enough of my soreness had left my body so that I could just barely ride a horse.

I woke early with the rising sun, made my bed, and cleaned my pitiful shack of a home for the first time since I'd moved in. After feeding and cleaning my animals, collecting the chickens' eggs, and milking my cow, I showered thoroughly and braided my hair. The weather was cool and the blades of grass were speckled with a refreshing dew.

With an hour left until the beginning of the festival, I began to attempt to mount my pony. The searing pain in my chest made it exceedingly difficult, but with the help of a dusty, unstable stepping-ladder I'd discovered in the shed, I eased myself onto my pony and rode as smoothly as possible towards the mountaintop, though pain shot through my body with every trot.

Excitement ran through my veins as I imagined what the other villagers would be like.

_What if they ask me to move to their village? What if I get along with them better?_

I breathed in deeply attempting to calm myself down, taking in the succulent scent of springtime flowers and fruit. The verdant trees gave the mountains an extremely picturesque feel, it made me question whether this was actually happening or if I was just too absorbed with a picture I'd found on Google Images.

Shaking my head, I reminded myself that this was all indeed too real.

_I __wish __I __brought __a __camera, _I grumbled to myself._I __could __take __pictures __and __show __them __to __my __friends __when __I __go __back._

Suddenly, a thought occurred in my head.

_If I go back. If my friends are even waiting for me. If they even care anymore._

I pushed the last bit from my head immediately. Of course there would be a way for me to return to Chicago. Someday. Of course my friends would be waiting...

My mental battles with myself finally ended as I reached the mountaintop, which was gated off and decorated with ribbons and flowers. I saw Rutger and Ina planted outside the entrance gate, bickering audibly.

"Oh, in your dreams!" Rutger chuckled, though I could hear an undertone of intense anger.

Ina growled furiously. "Just because you won last time-"

Spotting me, they silenced themselves quickly.

"Oh, hello, Lillian! I'm so glad you could make it," Ina greeted me, her somber expression reading otherwise. "Rutger, be a gentleman for once in your life and help the injured girl get off her horse," she added curtly.

Both of us blushing deeply, Rutger scrambled towards me and lifted me off of my pony, which walked itself into the designated parking area for horses.

"Thanks," I muttered. "When does the festival start? I hope I'm not too early," I quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, you're right on time!" he answered, pushing up his velvet-green sleeve to check his golden watch. "Though, everyone else is here… They do always get here early. Things are taken so seriously. But, enough of that nonsense. Let's begin!"

Ina rolled her beady ebony eyes, and we walked into the gated off mountaintop area. "Bluebell villagers sit to the left," she instructed callously.

I looked to see rows of benches on either side of the clearing, and two tables in the front with three covered platters of food on each. Ash, Laney, and Howard were seated in the front row, Cheryl, Jessica, and Cam in the second, Eileen, Grady, and Georgia in the third, and Rose, Rutger and I in the fourth and final row. On the right side, I saw a very pretty girl with unbelievably long, sleek, ink-colored hair, an old woman with something of a hunchback, and the doctor's apprentice, Hiro, in the first row. In the second row, Dr. Ayame, a midget of an old man, and a very small girl were seated. In the third, a gargantuan man with a crooked nose, another teenage girl, and a man dressed as a panda were deep in discussion about plants, and in the fourth row, a young boy, a burly, tattooed young man with long, layered hair gathered into a ponytail, and Ina were seated.

I also saw three extremely short, nearly identical triplets whom I recognized as the merchants of the towns in a heated debate about what ingredient they should stock their stores with.

"Flour, I'm telling you, we need more flour!"

"Shut up, Raul! Diego's right. Oil!"

"Thanks, Enrique. Oil or seaweed."

"Seaweed? Have you lost your taste buds?"

"The crop-folk like it!"

I laughed to myself before I noticed a man in a purple suit and hat standing in the front and center, with distinctly fluorescent yellow hair and violet eyes.

"Who's that?" I asked Rose.

"Oh, dear, we never told you? That's Pierre! He judges the food and decides which village has cooked better. He's a Gourmet! He's never been wrong!" Rose informed me in her wheezy whisper.

Before I could respond, Ina stood and spoke.

"Hello, everyone. Today marks the first cooking festival of the season! Bluebell, have fun losing!" she announced arrogantly.

I felt anger wash over me. _How __can __she __be __so __rude?_

Rutger obviously felt the same way, as he stood and said loudly, "If there's one thing your village has lost already, it's your grip on reality. We all know Bluebell's going to win. Just like last time. Get over it, Ina. Leave cooking to those who know how."

"Ouch!" said the muscular man seated on Konohana's side, perhaps a couple years older than me. His voice was surprisingly teenage-sounding - he could have walked right out of my old high school. "That was SERIOUSLY harsh, dude." I suppressed a giggle.

"Kana," admonished Ina, "I can handle myself." Her face flushed scarlet nonetheless. However, before she could make a comeback, Pierre cleared his throat and began to speak.

"The theme for today's cooking festival is 'salad,' and I'm sure our contestants have something delicious planned for us today!" he declared, his voice high and squeaky. "First, I'm going to try Bluebell's food! Contestants, please step up!"

As if they had been whipped, Ash, Laney, and Howard sprinted to their food platters and uncovered them. Ash had prepared a delectable-looking cucumber salad, Laney an herb mixture, and Howard a gourmet-looking strawberry creation. Fighting the urge to salivate, I watched as Pierre sampled the food, making small comments such as, "Oh, delicious!" and "Hm…"

"Only a 'hm'? Howard's the best cook in the village!" Rutger scowled and whispered to Rose. "Besides you, of course, dear," he added quickly.

He seemed to like Ash's the most, much to my surprise. After he had tasted all three, he commanded, "Konohana contestants, to your stations!" and the pretty young girl, the old hunchback with her silvery hair propped atop her wrinkled head in a bun, and Hiro dashed to their entries.

Uncovering their culinary creations, I saw that the pretty girl had prepared a sort of noodle salad, the old lady a spicy-looking pepper salad, and Hiro a tofu salad.

_Bluebell__'__s __definitely __my __kind __of __town, _I thought to myself, inwardly gagging at the sight of the tofu salad.

But, to my astonishment, Pierre seemed to absolutely love all of it.

"Oh, it's as if I prepared it myself!" he squealed to the old woman, eyes shining. "And Nori's isn't far behind!"

Nori must be the teenage girl. I made a mental note to speak to her sometime. She seemed like a nice enough girl, and I could use all the friends I could possibly get.

"Hiro, how did you know I adore tofu salad?" Pierre asked as he smiled broadly before shoving a forkful of the salad into his mouth and chewed noisily.

"'Cause they're cheaters, I tell ya," Grady hissed through clenched teeth, though his remark was only audible to the Bluebell villagers, who all nodded in agreement, Rutger and Jessica the most vigorously. Ina's face was contorted into an ear-to-ear grin.

"Don't be so upset, Laney. Your food was good," Cam said quietly when he noticed the frown staining Laney's gorgeous visage.

My heart fluttered. _He__'__s __such __a __nice __guy__…_

"Good? Just _good_? Why am I such an awful cook?" she complained, sounding seconds away from tears. Apparently, Laney wasn't lying when she said cooking festivals were taken amazingly seriously here.

Cam flushed. "I was just trying to help," he said crossly. "Never mind…"

The entire Bluebell side was silent, no one daring to speak and perhaps even breathe. Konohana's side was buzzing with excited whispers.

"I knew we'd do well," Dr. Ayame was heard saying proudly.

"This is so rad!" the boy named Kana said. He spoke, acted, and even looked like a normal teenager, minus the gigantic biceps and matted jet-black hair.

"I've finished sampling all of the food! It is time for me to announce the results!" Pierre said finally, after perhaps an hour of deliberation. I pondered the fact that it took an hour to think about who's food was better, but then, I decided it was better to question a Gourmet.

"And?" Ina asked impatiently.

"Though both sides prepared delicious food, as usual, Konohana had the upper hand this time. Congratulations, Konohana!" Pierre exclaimed. "Now, I must be on my way! A Gourmet like me has quite a tight schedule! Until next time!"

And with that, he ran out of the enclosed mountaintop area as if afraid of the fallout of his decision, mounted what appeared to be a Shetland Pony, and rode off as quickly as possible. For a moment, I wondered how he got out of this place, then forced myself to concentrate on Rutger's angered expression.

"This is blasphemy!" he declared, shaking a fist at the Konohana villagers.

"Oh, be quiet, Rutger, and control yourself for once. You know the Gourmet never lies," Ina responded tartly. "Now, we're going back to the village to celebrate. We already prepared the refreshments, since we knew we were going to win."

"Wait until next time! We'll double our efforts!" Rutger thundered.

"So will we," Ina said with a cold smile.

Before Rutger could say more, Rose rubbed his arm soothingly, and he immediately retreated.

"Sorry, dear," he whispered. "Let's go home, shall we? I could use a drink…"

She nodded, and Rutger and Rose began to walk off. However, he suddenly halted and walked up to me.

"Lillian," he said, "thank you for taking the time out of your day to support your village. I have something for you." He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a canvas bag about the size of my palm. "These are turnip seeds. You do know how to plant seeds, right? Just clear a small area with the scythe, till the dirt with the hoe, plant, and water. All the tools are in the supply shed."

"Oh, thanks, Mayor, sir! This is too kind," I said honestly. The whole festival was about two hours long and hardly difficult to sit through; why did I deserve a gift when no one else did?

"Pish-posh! It's nothing, Lillian. Have a good day," Rutger blushed, pleased to have been addressed as "sir."

He and Rose walked off, followed by Eileen, Grady, Georgia, the triplets, Howard, Cam, Cheryl, a defeated-looking Ash, and Jessica. Laney was still hunched over in her seat. I approached her cautiously.

"Laney?" I asked softly. "Are you alright?"

She spun around quickly, her cheeks a bright pink. "Of course!" she responded in an attempted replication of her standard exuberant voice. I raised an eyebrow. "Not really. I just can't believe we lost the festival. And I was so mean to Cam," she said regretfully.

"Don't be upset about it, Laney! There's always next time, right? All you can do is improve. You've got years to show the villages how great of a cook you are. And I bet your salad was delicious! I think Pierre was bribed," I assured her. "As for Cam, he's lived here for a while, right? He has to know that the festivals are taken seriously. Even I know that. Just apologize to him later. He'll understand. I know he will."

Laney's eyes lit up with their usual bubbly brightness. "You know, Lillian, I think you're right! I'm going to go and talk to him right now! And then I'll go try to make Ash feel better… He gets sad when he loses, but tries to hide it and make everyone else feel better instead. That's just Ash…" Her voice trailed off, and she ran from the mountaintop area at the speed of light. Before I knew it, I was alone with the Konohana villagers, still talking about their victory.

"Hey, Bluebell!" a boy's voice called. I turned around to find myself face to face with Kana. He was wearing cutoff jean shorts and a white tank-top under a red vest that looked as though the sleeves of it were sloppily torn off. He ran his fingers through his uneven hair. "Maybe you should join our side next time, huh, Miss Stitches?"

I scowled at him. "Why would one loss dishearten me so much? There's always next time, Kana."

"Woah, how'd you know my name, cow-girl?" he asked curiously.

"Firstly, my name's Lillian. Secondly, I heard Ina say it," I answered, growing less and less fond of the boy with each passing second.

"Sorry, Lil. Hey, don't look at me like that. Everyone says I've got the manners of a horse. Never took it as an insult. Anyway, I just wanted to invite you to Konohana's after-party. They say you're new here, and how wicked would it be for you if you got to meet the townsfolk?" he asked with a crooked grin.

"Er - I dunno…" I hesitated. Would the people in Bluebell be angry with me if they found out?

"C'mon, Lil, the people in Bluebell won't give two turnips if you celebrate with us. How can they get mad at you for wanting to know the people you'll be competing with for the next… forever? If they give you a hard time, just pull the 'trying to get to know the enemy' card. It worked for me when I wanted to get to know that Georgia chick back in Bluebell. Too bad she's about as interesting as a plank of wood-"

"I didn't ask for your life story," I said rather icily. He seemed like a ladies' man, the kind of guy who would use me and then ignore me. _Although_, I admitted to myself, _it __would __be __nice __to __meet __the __other __Konohana __villagers._

"Great. We'll go now, then," he said with a grin, lifting me up as though I was a feather and cradling me in his arms like a baby.

"KANA! Put me down, _now_! I didn't agree to go anywhere!" I shouted. The other Konohana villagers simply glanced up, chuckled, and began walking down the mountain towards their village as the sun set in a beautiful splatter of pink, orange, and blue.

"Dr. Ayame! Tell him this is unsafe!" I screeched. Surprisingly, my body wasn't hurting as much as it had when I rode my horse, perhaps because his grip was steady and his steps smooth.

"Chill, Lil," he said. "Oh, hey, that rhymes!"

"Kana's right," Dr. Ayame said, covering her mouth with her fingers to mask a grin. "You'll be fine! Live a little!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes as Kana carried me in his sturdy arms down to the brightly-lit village of Konohana.


	8. Chapter 8

Notice: This chapter may be rated T. I'm kind of unfamiliar with the ratings, though, so I gave it a T rating just in case. Let me know what you think! Thank you!

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<p>

"You can put me down now," I muttered to Kana, almost pleadingly. I heard the short old man giggle.

"We're almost at Yun's Café, just hold your horses!" Kana replied with a laugh. "You should eat more. I coulda been carrying a blue feather and I wouldn't have noticed the difference."

"I eat plenty!" I argued, wondering what a blue feather was. I didn't want to come off as ignorant, so I didn't ask.

"Sure, sure. Is the food in Bluebell that bad?" he scoffed.

The old man began snorting with laughter and made odd choking noises.

"Gombe? You okay?" Kana asked the man, suddenly sounding seriously concerned.

"Never better! You're a funny one, Kana," he said happily. "And she's the new one, hmmm?"

"Yep. Gotta break her in," Kana said with a devilish grin. I pinched his arm. "Ow! You're asking for trouble, Lil!"

"No one calls me 'Lil,'" I reminded him for the umpteenth time.

"I think I just did," he said smugly.

"You're impossible."

"We're here!" he announced, kicking open a wooden door and setting me into a chair. I hadn't even noticed we entered the village.

We were in a dimly lit Asian-styled restaurant, along with the majority of the village. The old man, Gombe, and the old woman, Yun, stood behind the counter setting out the platters of salad, soup, and rice candy desserts. The small girl and boy were nicking some candies from the platter, going unnoticed by all save me and Kana, who high-fived them and whispered, "Ying! Rahi! Pass me one, okay?"

"You're such a good role model," I told him sarcastically, rolling my French-lilac eyes.

"Oh, I get that all the time," he responded without a moment of hesitation. I shook my head.

"Hello, everyone!" someone said kindly. I looked up to see the pretty girl, Nori, welcoming us to the feast. Her silky hair had long pieces of vivid pink fabric braided into it, and her kimono was the color of cherry blossoms. "My grandfather," she gestured to Gombe, "Ying, her lovely grandmother Yun," she pointed to the small, pale girl with a mouthful of candies clutching a stuffed-animal panda and the old woman who ran the café, "and Hiro," blushing as she said his name, "helped prepare these lovely foodstuffs! We have spicy curry, ramen salad, tom yum goong, and rice candy! Drinks will be out soon! Enjoy!"

The villagers formed a line, each piling their plates with every kind of food. I took some salad and two rice candies, telling myself that it would be rude to take more food, considering I wasn't even a village resident. I also wasn't exactly sure what tom yum goong was.

"I told you, you need to eat more," Kana whispered into my ear. "It's a miracle that boar didn't snap you in half, Lil."

"It's Lillian! And is my injury some sort of village gossip?" I asked worriedly.

"Not many interesting things happen. They'll probably be talking about this win until the next festival, or about how Nori got all hot and bothered when she mentioned Hiro," Kana said with a wide grin.

"You noticed that, too?"

"Hiro's my best friend, I gotta look out for him, you know?"

"You have feelings?" I asked innocently, pulling a surprised expression. Kana scowled. "Where should we sit?"

"By Mako and Reina, definitely. They always make interesting conversation," Kana said immediately, leading me to a table where the big man with the crooked nose and hair longer than Kana's sat next to the other teenage girl. Her hair was in multiple thick braids and she wore a lime green kimono.

"And who might you be?" the man, Mako, inquired in a booming voice the moment I sat down.

"I'm Lillian. I just moved to Bluebell-"

"Bluebell?" the girl asked. Her voice was quiet, but firm; it reminded me slightly of Cam's. "But Konohana has so many interesting plants and research materials available!"

I wasn't sure what to say. I never was much of a gardener. "Er-"  
>"Lil here is just a farmer, not a college-graduate scientist like you, Reina," Kana interrupted, then turned towards me. "Reina and her uncle Mako run an orchard just south from here. Hayate, my horse, loves the apples they grow, so they have my total respect!"<p>

"Oh, that's so cool!" I said, wondering if they'd lend me some apples for my pony.

"My thoughts EXACTLY," Kana said excitedly.

"The growth of fruits is an exact and beautiful science! Not for the common human, no, you must be a certain breed!" Mako ranted, an insane look of passion in his eyes.

I came to the realization that I had chosen the right village to live in. Plants were nice, but I wasn't a science kind of person. Besides, animals actually had feelings, which made them instantly more interesting than plants. I supposed I really was a Bluebell girl at heart.

"This curry was seasoned with spices from the mountain I collected. It's absolutely delectable," Reina informed us proudly.

"My fave!" Kana said through heaping spoonfuls of the stuff.

We had an in-depth conversation about different types of fruit that could grow in the season, though most of it was me listening to Mako and Reina spout knowledge about botany while I poked at my salad and Kana inhaled curry like air and randomly brought up his horses, for what seemed like an eternity. The sun set completely, and the little girl and boy, Ying and Rahi, who turned out to be Ina's son, went to sleep in the back room.

"Lillian, you simply must try some of my curry!" Hiro insisted as he walked by our table. Without waiting for an answer, he emptied his helping of the food onto my cleared plate. "Spices are good for the immune system!" he said knowingly as he walked back to his seat next to Dr. Ayame and the panda man. I wondered why he wasn't sitting next to Nori, Gombe, and Yun.

I deliberated on whether or not to try any of the curry when Kana shoved some into my mouth. As I swallowed it, I pinched his arm for the second time that evening before I realized that my mouth felt as though it was ablaze.

"It's so spicy!" I coughed. How did these people handle it? I felt my face heat and flush to a thousand shades of scarlet.

"Hence the name of the dish," Mako laughed. Kana joined in, though he was rubbing his large bicep.

"Very funny," I said impatiently. "Where can I get some water?"

"There's some drinks up at the counter," Kana said, pointing to what appeared to be tall glasses of apple juice while he nonchalantly downed spoonfuls of the spicy curry, not even going red in the face.

I ran up to the counter, ignoring howls of laughter from Kana, and downed an entire glass of the apple juice... before I realized it wasn't apple juice at all. It tasted of honey and another odd flavor I couldn't recognize, and left me feeling light-headed. My mouth still burned vaguely, however, so I gulped a good half of another glass until the burning sensation faded completely.

"You do know you just chugged the biggest glass of concentrated honey wine I've seen since my sixteenth birthday, right?" Kana asked, eyebrows raised as though he was impressed.

"What? I don't drink alcohol!" I insisted. Though the pain in my mouth and throat subsided, I felt dizzy and slightly energized at the same time. Everything seemed brighter but narrower simultaneously. It was an odd sensation I had never experienced. I wondered for a moment if this was what being drunk was, then screamed at myself for being so daft. How was I supposed to get home?

"How old are you? You're handling the booze well for a twig," Kana noted.

"Sixteen, what's it to you?" I retorted, inexplicably frustrated. I heard laughter from all directions, and the world began spinning. I attempted to walk back to my chair to sit and cool down, but everything I could see was doubling and spinning and I stumbled and landed on my arse, cursing as pain surged through my back and chest.

"Hey, Lil? You alright?" Kana asked. "Why am I even asking? You're wasted. Gombe's wine always does that..."

His voice sounded far away, he looked far away. All the lights appeared brighter, causing the world as it appeared through my eyes to somersault.

"You can't go back to Bluebell like this, as fun as that would be to watch. Come to my place, yeah?" Kana asked, hoisting me up and back onto my feet. My legs felt slightly wobbly, like jelly.

I dimly perceived it as a bad idea, wondering in the back of my mind if Cam would find out, but something inside of me agreed to go with Kana, and I nodded.

"Let her sleep it off," I heard Dr. Ayame say with a chuckle. "Let her sleep it off alone! Hiro and I are going back to the clinic now. It's nearly eleven; we're calling it a night. Stop by if you need anything."

"I can handle a drunk! I've been one on multiple occasions," Kana said proudly.

"Oh, Hiro's told me all about it. How he wasn't corrupted by being your friend for all those years is beyond me."

The next thing I felt was Kana lifting me up as he had earlier in the evening. This time, however, I rested my head onto his shoulder rather than fight him. I was too tired.

"We're almost at my place. Sorry if it smells like animals. I swear it's not me," he laughed.

"Don't try to pull anything. I know guys... guys like you..." I mumbled, my head aching and spinning. "And I've never, ever been drunk before. Never again. Don't get used to this."

"I'm hurt, Lil! Why do you take me as the player type?" Kana asked with a smile as he fumbled through his pocket, pulled out a small golden key, opened the door to his small home, carried me to the back, and laid me onto a cot in the corner. He threw me a quilt from a wooden crate. "I'll sleep on the floor, I guess. I'm not gonna try to pull anything, contrary to popular belief. I am a GENTLEMAN. As chivalrous as they come."

"Shut up and sit down on the damn cot, Kana. I don't appreciate guilt trips," I said harshly. The words spilled out. "Sorry. It's the wine talking, I swear."

Kana filled a glass with water from his sink. "Want some water, fresh from the tap?"

I nodded, and downed the glass in one swig, though it spilled all over my lips, chin, and shirt. My head seemed to stop spinning slightly and my vision focused.

Humiliation began to settle in. The reality of this evening hit me like a train.

"You look upset, so I'm guessing you've come to your senses," Kana observed, sitting next to me on the squashy cot.

"You could've told me it was heavily concentrated wine before I drank it, you know. You could've warned me that the curry would be spicy to a foreigner like me. You could've left me alone at the mountaintop and let me go home. You could've never talked to me," I said, pleased with myself for sounding surprisingly articulate for a drunk, but furious at Kana nonetheless.

Kana raised an eyebrow. "What's the fun in that, though?" he asked, brushing a strand of my tousled hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ear.

"See? I was right about y-" I began, but never got to finish my sentence, and it took me a few seconds to realize why that was.

Kana had smashed his lips into mine, kissing me with all the passion and recklessness that was in him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, and for a reason I couldn't grasp - maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the shock - I didn't fight it.

He pulled me closer, his hands firmly on my sides, and my fingers began subconsciously brushing through the ends of his surprisingly soft hair. Thankfully, he didn't smell like animals, though I had gotten used to the stench by now to the point that it would have been an only minor factor.

His tongue slowly found its way into my mouth, and I felt a shock of something more powerful than electricity shoot through every fiber of my being. There was a fire ablaze inside me, unlike the fire in my mouth from the burning curry, but with the passion of my first taste of actual, real romance, and I reciprocated his advances fully, deepening the kiss on my end.

He was a surprisingly pleasant kisser, though it wasn't like I had a lot of experience; my last kiss was on an elementary school playground in seventh grade. As I continued to return his fiery kiss, a thought dawned on me. Perhaps this was only a good kiss because he had a lot of experience - or what if he was just using me to get better for someone else? I wouldn't have put it past him; he definitely came off as the flirty type.

I realized how irresponsible I was being, kissing a guy that was older than me, a guy I barely knew. I quickly released my hands from the nape of his neck and pushed him away with all the force my drunk self could muster.

A shocked expression formed onto his face. "What was that?" he asked huskily, panting.

"I could ask you the same thing! You said you weren't going to do anything! How old are you, anyways?" I questioned him angrily.

"I'm seventeen!" he responded, looking at me as though I was crazy.

"You were trying to take advantage of me!" I yelled.

"You'll wake the whole village if you keep talking like that!" he hissed. "And I wasn't going to... I'm sorry," he continued, sounding sincere for the first time the entire evening. "I thought you looked really pretty... And you're the only girl in the villages with a majorly awesome personality, too. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable." He blushed and refused to meet my eyes, though he wiped his wet lips, to my embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I just don't want to make important decisions when I've had a glass and a half of an alcoholic substance my body isn't exactly acquainted with."

"I get it. You're a smart girl," he said, still blushing.

"How many girls have you done that to?" I asked, unable to refrain from asking the question that was bothering me the most.

"Done what? Oh... That?" he blushed again, a weird shade of pink. "I've never really kissed anyone before. Unless you count me giving Nori a peck on the cheek when I was like, thirteen. That was before she was in love with Hiro, of course. When I found out, I was crushed for like, two days. Horses are more fun to be around, anyways," he laughed awkwardly. "But, um, yeah. Sorry if it wasn't... good, I guess."

"That's not it at all." It was my turn to blush. He certainly wasn't a player, like I had falsely accused him. I still didn't think I should've kissed him; at least, I wished I hadn't kissed him every time I thought of Cam. "I haven't kissed anyone since I was thirteen, either. Except it was an actual kiss for me. I win."

He smiled for the first time in a while. "Who was the lucky guy?"

"My seventh grade 'boyfriend,'" I laughed. "Not like we actually went on dates. Dating is a joke in elementary school, even high school."

"I wouldn't know. I moved here when I was a little kid, and we're all homeschooled or not schooled at all here," Kana said with a tinge of regret in his voice. "I never got to see the big wide world like you, or at least, I don't remember it, and it's too late now. The only girls I could ever possibly get with are in this village or Bluebell."

"The big wide world isn't that great." I said honestly, though a huge part of my felt truly sorry for Kana. He had grown on me, inappropriate behavior and all. "But one day," I continued, "I'll take you back to the city I came from and show you around. If you'd like that, you know. As friends."

"Yeah, that would be totally cool! Just as friends..." His voice became soft, and he ran his fingers through his hair during an awkward silence. "Are we friends?" he asked finally.

"If you want to be. You're by far the coolest person in the two villages," I admitted. "Even if you get poor, innocent little girls drunk and then seduce them in your dark lair."

We laughed for a few minutes, and then I yawned.

"You're sleepy. Go to bed, it's probably like, midnight. I'm beat," he said, yawning with me. "I'll take the floor."

"No, I can-" I started, but he cut me off, shaking his head.

"You're injured, and I'm a gentleman, remember? It's fine. Get some rest, party animal," he said with one last, tired grin.

I wrapped myself in the warm quilt, forced myself to forget about the awkward moments of the day and focus on the fact that I had a new friend.

I fell into a deep sleep the moment my head touched Kana's pillow.

When I woke, bright light was already shining through the windows of the unfamiliar room. Not remembering much of last night, I wondered where I was until I spotted Kana, awake, dressed, and eating a breakfast of oatmeal at the kitchen table. My jaw dropped in shock. I was unable to speak.

"Morning, sunshine," he said between spoonfuls of the steaming oats. "I thought you were, like, dead."

I stared at him for a while before I finally found my voice. "Why am I here? We didn't-"

He cut me off. "No, Lil, we're just friends. Since I'm such a nice person, I let you stay here last night because you were drunk," he reminded me. "Do you remember anything?"

Thinking back on it, I remembered a conversation about him only having kissed Nori on the cheek, never seeing the world, and us being just friends. Something else had happened, I was sure, but my brain refused to help me out.

"We talked. That was it, right?" I asked, panicking slightly. My head ached and I felt sick to my stomach.

"I'd never take advantage of a drunk, Lil. I'm offended you doubt my pure heart," he said, clutching the upper left side of his chest.

"Sorry... I'm just new to being drunk, unlike the other person in this room," I said, smiling for the first time in what felt like forever.

"And?" he asked.

"Never again," I vowed, shaking my head.

"That's no fun! Just wait until the next festival," he said with a wink.

"Over my dead body," I replied.

"I'll bring a boar here and that can be arranged," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, shut it," I groaned.

"Speaking of animals, your pony is here. I brought her back this morning. Poor thing, left on the mountain. I fed her, though, and she's waiting outside," he said.

"What time is it?" I asked, a fresh tidal wave of panic hitting me.

"About eleven o'clock. You're not used to staying up late, are you?"

"Not exactly," I admitted.

"Want some oatmeal?" he offered. "Horses love oatmeal. It keeps them healthy."

"I'll just get some water," I said weakly, filling an empty glass with sink water and gulping it down in a matter of seconds, my parched throat desperate for moisture.

"That's how you drank the honey wine last night," Kana said with a grin. "Just in case you didn't remember, Miss I-Refuse-To-Eat-Anything-In-Konohana."

"I remember that part, Kana," I said, rolling my eyes. "And I remember how you made me eat spicy curry."

He feigned a look of innocence. "I didn't know you'd think it was too spicy."

"Sure," I muttered, but smiled the slightest bit in his direction. "Listen, thanks for taking me in. It won't happen again. Promise."

"But it was so much fun!" Kana said. "Oh, well. I'll just have to be the drunk one from now on."

"And you can crash at my place after the next cooking festival, which, let's face it, Bluebell will definitely win," I said with a smirk.

"Oh, in your dreams," Kana scoffed. "Look, we're like Rutger and Ina now."

I laughed with him, then remembered it was nearly noon. "I have to go back to Bluebell now. I have animals of my own to tend to," I informed him. "Thanks for everything, Kana."

"Sure," he said, his face falling the teensiest bit. "Stop by again, yeah? If I'm not here, I'm at Yun's Café or the clinic, chilling with Hiro."

"Yeah. I'll be back. Maybe tomorrow or so, I have to sleep off this hangover," I said, disgusted with myself.

Kana laughed. "Don't be too hard on yourself. It happens to everyone," he said.

"Or maybe it just happens to you," I suggested. "Bye, Kana."

"See you," he said with a wave as I walked outside and mounted my pony, who neighed in delight. There was only a slight twang of pain in my chest. Maybe I was still numb from the alcohol.

As I rode out of Konohana, I took one last look at the quaint, Asian-styled town basking in the golden mid-morning sunshine and found myself anticipating my next visit.

* * *

><p>Just so you know, there will definitely be more than one guy that Lillian kisses. I'm so totally trying to keep you guys guessing on who she'll end up with. :P<p>

How's my writing? Reviews are always nice. Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

I rode as quickly as humanly possible back into Bluebell, trying my best not to be seen by anyone, though I was sure they'd realize I didn't return back to my home last night. I mentally constructed a back-up lie in case anyone asked while I milked and brushed my cows and collected the eggs my chickens left me. My animals no longer shied away from me as I approached them; it made me feel a strong sense of pride in my accomplishments.

_Maybe __I__'__m __a __farmer __at __heart._

As soon as I put my animal products into the shipping bin (minus one egg and one jar of milk I was keeping for dinner), I hopped into the shower and scrubbed all the remnants of my hazy night off of my body. What had I done at Kana's? A small part of me questioned whether he was telling me the truth. I had no reason to distrust him, but I had no reason to trust him, either, and I had always been a bit of a cynic.

After dressing in fresh, clean work-clothes, my stomach growled nearly as loudly as a boar. I decided I'd spend my meager earnings Rutger had apparently slipped under my door the previous evening and go to Howard's Café, as I was in no mood to make my own food. I had a splitting headache and, despite all the sleep I had gotten, I felt heavy and tired. As I walked towards the café rubbing my temples, I vowed I would never touch an alcoholic substance ever again.

"Hey, Lillian!" I heard someone call from behind me as I reached the plaza. Spinning around, I spotted Ash and Cheryl walking towards me. I inwardly groaned, praying that they wouldn't ask me any questions about my whereabouts for the past twenty-four hours or so.

"Hi, guys. Where are you two headed?" I asked, forcing a smile and twirling my damp hair innocently.

"We're going to Howard's! Ash is gonna buy me chocolate donuts for lunch!" Cheryl replied excitedly, her adorable, chubby face glowing.

"Awesome! I'm going there, too," I said with a grin. I was unable to resist being happy around such a cute little girl, even if her clinginess to her older brother was rather odd.

"You've got to try Howard and Laney's chocolate donuts. They're both such amazing cooks," Ash told me. "I still don't understand how we lost the cooking festival… But there's always next time."

I nodded in agreement. "Your salad looked so delicious, Ash! I was sure we were going to win when I saw our village's food. Do you really think Konohana would cheat?" I asked anxiously.

"Of course they would! Ash's food is the best!" Cheryl cut in fiercely. Ash looked slightly embarrassed, but flattered at the same time.

"Thanks, you two. By the way, Lillian, I asked my mom to make hot milk the way you make it, but it just doesn't taste the same! So, since you said you liked my salad, it would be great if we could do a trade! I'll make you some of my cucumber salad if you make me some of your hot milk," he offered, scratching the back of his head and blushing.

It was my turn to be flattered. "Of course!" I agreed immediately. Salad for hot milk seemed like an unfair trade to my advantage, but a hungry teenage girl doesn't worry about fairness in her search for nourishment. "I'll bring you some tomorrow."

"Great. You should take a break from so much work today. You look tired," Ash noted.

"Yeah!" Cheryl chimed in. "Maybe you should go to bed right after dinner like mommy makes me!"

_Is __it __that __obvious?_ I wondered to myself worriedly. "I went to sleep kind of late, and I'm not feeling too good…" I hoped the subject would soon change.

We approached the café, and we stopped near Cam's flower stand. I had just noticed him standing there, working his usual shift at his flower stand. As usual, he seemed to be paying no attention to anything except his flowers.

"Hey, Cam," Ash greeted his friend.

"Hi, Cam!" Cheryl said loudly. "You look almost as tired as Lillian does!"

_Great. __This __is __just __great_, I thought to myself as I mumbled a quiet greeting to Cam.

He looked up slowly.

"I got a new shipment of flowers last night… I had to stay up late," Cam mumbled, running his fingers through his silky strands of hair.

"Does everyone always wake up really early here?" I asked the three Bluebell natives curiously.

"Always. We're never really tired, usually-" Ash began.

"Speak for yourself," Cam interrupted with a small smile.

"You don't have to stay up late every time you get a new shipment of flowers," Ash responded, chuckling.

"You don't understand… Anyway, why didn't you come back to Bluebell last night, Lillian?" Cam asked. I felt a gargantuan lump form in my throat as I realized that my worst fear of the day had come to pass.

Ash looked at me quizzically and chimed in, "Yeah, now that you mention it…"

I had to think of a great lie, and quickly. All three of them had turned to look at me expectantly.

"After the cooking festival, I… Well, the Konohana villagers, really, asked me to go to a party with them, and I didn't want to be rude, so I agreed. But I got food poisoning, so I ended up having to spend the night at one of the villager's homes, because I was too weak to go home," I fibbed. I mentally crossed all of my fingers. _I __sounded __believable __enough._

"Which villager's house?" Cheryl inquired. "I heard they're MEAN over there!"

"Reina's house. She and her uncle are actually very nice," I lied again without skipping a beat.

"Never met them," Cam said, shrugging.

"Cheryl, you can't say that they're all mean. I'm sure some of them are nice people, just bad cooks," Ash said, and the three of us laughed and nodded in agreement. "By the way," Ash continued, "don't tell anyone, but we're having a birthday party for Rutger tomorrow night! His birthday will show him how much we appreciate him, and everyone loves his birthday because it reminds us that summer's not too far away!"

"Summer's not too far away?" I said in a distant whisper. I had lost track of time completely.

Ash looked at me awkwardly, remembering that I wasn't used to their different calendar. "Rutger and Rose used to teach us how to read and do math, and he told us that to you, his birthday would be on the seventh of May," he explained.

I couldn't believe time had passed so quickly. I had left Chicago in the end of March - where had all the time gone? No one from Chicago had tried to contact me. The fact that I cared so little was what scared me the most. Was this place becoming my home?

"So, where will his party be held?" Cam asked, breaking the tense silence.

"At six o'clock in the town hall. Howard and Laney are cooking food and Rose, my ma, and Cheryl are decorating," Ash responded.

"I'll be there," Cam assured Ash. I nodded in agreement.

"Ash, I want donuts!" Cheryl whined. I saw Cam roll his eyes every so slightly, and followed Ash and Cheryl inside the warm café.

"Hi, lovelies!" Howard said with a wide grin from the moment we walked inside. I loved his constant enthusiasm and friendliness; despite his quirks, he was continuing to grow on me. "Laney, look, your friends are here!" he said to his daughter. She looked a million miles away.

"What? Oh, why, hello!" she exclaimed, dark circles surrounding her wide eyes. "I spent all night revising all the recipes! We're going to win the next cooking festival, don't worry!" Her apron was stained with various ingredients and even singed at the edges, and her usually immaculately styled hair was frizzy and matted.

"Can we just have some chocolate donuts?" Cheryl asked with a frown.

"Cheryl!" Ash admonished his sister, looking humiliated.

"Oh, it's fine!" Howard said sweetly. "We'll give you the six-pack half-off!"

"No, you can't-"

"That'll be 500G," Laney said, clicking buttons on the register. Rutger had briefly explained the currency system of the two villages, and I reckoned that 500G was about 5USD. I had 1500G to spend on food and a birthday present for Rutger.

"I'll have two of the chocolate donuts and some chamomile tea," I requested when it was my turn to order. That cost 750G, leaving me with exactly 750G more to buy a present for Rutger. "And Laney, maybe you should take a break and we can talk," I suggested as Ash and Cheryl exited the café. What were friends for? She was going insane around so much food, menus, and recipes.

"I'm sorry, Lillian, I just have to perfect this soup recipe for the next cooking-"

"Laney, take a break, darling," Howard intervened. "You won't cook anything good if you're not thinking clearly!"

"I- I guess you're right…" Laney looked downtrodden, but handed me my delicious-looking meal and followed me to a cozy-looking table near the café window. I began to bite into the chewy, iced, double-chocolate donuts and sip the steaming mug of sweet tea. Laney was insane to think that she wasn't a good cook - these were easily the best donuts I had ever eaten, beating Dunkin' Donuts by a mile. When I informed her of this, she seemed to perk up a bit.

"I'm not quite sure what Dunkin' Donuts is, but thanks, Lillian," she replied. Her face seemed to regain some of its typical exuberance.

"All I'm saying is, this is the best breakfast I've ever eaten," I said honestly.

"Breakfast?" Laney asked, concerned. "Why, it's nearly three o'clock!"

"I didn't mean to say _breakfast_-"

"Now that you mention it, I didn't see you come home after the festival last night! What happened?" Laney questioned me.

Lacking the heart to lie to my closest friend within a thousand miles (or perhaps, my closest friend in general, as none of the other people I considered my "friends" had tried to contact me in months), I extended my pinkie to her and whispered, "I'll tell you the truth if you pinkie-promise to not tell anyone!"

Laney's expression changed from worried to puzzled. "What's a pinkie-promise?" she asked me.

"It's… It's a way to show that you vow to something. You just twist your pinkie fingers together and it's a promise you can't break," I explained.

"Oh, okay. Heh, that's funny. I pinkie-promise I won't tell a soul!" she said, interlocking her pinkie finger with mine.

"Not even Ash or Cam?"

"Not even Ash or Cam."

"Well, you know how they invited me to the party after the festival, right?" I began.

"Yes, of course. I'm surprised you agreed to go! They were horrible to us yesterday," Laney murmured.

"I'm sorry, Laney. I just wanted to get to know them myself to decide how I feel about them."

"Oh, no, I understand. Old grudges die hard…"

"I didn't really agree to go, though. Kana carried me there-"

"Kana, the horse-obsessed guy about our age?" Laney asked. Her eyes seemed to bulge out even more than usual. "I thought he and Georgia fancied each other, but for some reason, he doesn't seem to talk to her much. She hasn't liked him since his horse won against hers in a festival about two years ago," Laney chuckled. Remembering what Kana said about Georgia's personality, I laughed as well.

"He took me to Yun's Café and we ate. He made me try some spicy curry, and it was too - well - spicy," I muttered sheepishly. In retrospect, I was stupider than I could have possibly imagined. Laney shook her head affectionately. "So, I went to drink something to help the burning, but I ended up drinking a bunch of honey wine-"

"Honey wine? It seems harmless, but Ash and Cam and I got a hold of some at Eileen's birthday party once…" Her voice trailed off and she blushed. "So what happened?"

"Well, I got pretty wasted," I shamefully admitted, "so Kana took me to his house and I slept it off. But I can't remember if we, y'know, did anything stupid."

"He seems like a nice guy. He would have told you. Or, he would have just stayed away from you. I know in the city, you can't trust everyone, but if Kana was a bad guy, Ina would have kicked him out by now. We're so small, we have no room for the scum of this world to gather here," Laney said.

"You're right," I said, feeling genuinely better. "He would've told me. I asked him and he said we didn't do anything. Yeah. You're right."

"Just don't do it again," she advised. "Daddy was so upset with me… But never mind about that. Do you like Kana?"

I nearly spat out my tea. "Where did that come from? Of course not. We're definitely just friends," I answered hastily.

"But you did agree to spend the night at his house!"

"I was drunk, Laney."

"Oh, yeah."

"Do you like Ash?" I asked slyly, already anticipating her answer.

Her jaw dropped. "How did you… What even… Is it that obvious?" she sputtered incoherently. "No one can know! Pinkie-promise me you won't tell anyone!"

I wrapped my pinkie finger around hers and promised. "It's not obvious, don't worry. I can tell because I have an outsider's perspective, I think. I really think he likes you, too, Laney. Why are you so afraid?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Imagine if we broke up! There are only a few people in this town. The gossip would be _horrible_, and it would be awkward _forever_! It would be almost as bad as when Ash's dad left-"

"What?" It was my turn to be shocked. "I had no idea," I whispered sorrowfully. As angry as I was with my parents, I felt a dull stabbing pain in my heart at the thought of my parents divorcing, or my dad leaving forever.

"It was quite terrible. Cheryl was just born, and Ash was maybe eight. Jack was a city boy, see. He met Jessica when he was here visiting and fell in love, but things got worse after they had their first child. He didn't like life in Bluebell. He missed the city. He didn't want to settle down. Jessica didn't want to leave everything she'd ever known, though. So one morning she woke up with her husband gone and children crying. Just a note about how he couldn't stand it here. That's it. He just up and left," Laney said softly. Her eyes were misty with tears. "That's why everyone in the village is a bit cautious at first when someone new moves here. We don't want to get attached just… Just to have them run off in the middle of the night, like we live in some sort of hellhole." Laney was more serious than I had ever seen her.

"Poor Ash. He must miss his dad so much," I said, on the verge of tears myself.

"Ash? Ash is fine. But he didn't get the life a boy should have. He worked before he could read. He only lives to keep his mom and sister happy. They're all he's got, and he's all they've got, and that's why they're so dependant on each other, especially Cheryl, since she never knew what it was like to have a dad. Ash _is_her dad, the poor thing," Laney muttered. "I don't think Ash has time for a girlfriend. I don't think he thinks about that kind of thing. Why, he'd choose Cheryl over me any day."

"That's not true! Everyone needs a significant other. Ash really likes you. I can tell. You just need to spend more time with him," I recommended.

"With Cheryl around him every passing second? I don't think so," Laney said bitterly.

"I have a plan!" I said happily. "Just tell me when you want to go on a date with Ash, and I'll take Cheryl to Konohana for the day to play with the other kids there. It'll be fun for her and you, and I could get to know the other villagers more!"

"You'd do that for me?" Laney asked, her smile lighting up her entire being.

"You're my best friend," I said with an equally large grin.

"Are you homesick?" she asked me apprehensively. "I don't want you to leave."

"I'm not homesick at all," I said genuinely. "I wish my parents would try to talk to me, but I'd rather be here than there." _There. __I __said __it __out __loud. _"I belong in Bluebell. I like it here. I like the people and the food and my animals and the mountains and the view and the plants and I'd rather be here than in Chicago, doing homework and surfing the Internet all day."

Laney raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I'm not sure what the Internet is, but I'm so happy you like it here, Lillian!"

"Me, too," I replied.

"I'm glad we could talk, but I've got to go take a shower now - just look at my hair - and then go work on this soup recipe, I've almost perfected it, I swear!" Laney insisted, getting up.

"Wait! One more thing!" I said, remembering Rutger's birthday party. "What would Rutger like for a present?"

"He likes tea, flowers, and gifts he can give to Rose. He's crazy about her," Laney said, sighing. "If only a man could love me as much as he loves her someday."

I got up and exited the café, finishing my last bite of donut and finally taming the growling monster in my stomach. As I passed Cam's flower shop, an idea popped into my head, and I approached him timidly.

"Hi, Cam. I'd like to get Rutger some flowers for his birthday. Do you know what kind he likes?" I asked him.

He looked up at me as slowly as ever. "He likes all kinds of white flowers, especially Casablanca bouquets. Lucky for you, I've got some today. That will be 850G," he said tonelessly, wrapping a few fancy-looking white flowers in a silvery paper.

_850G? __I __don__'__t __have __850G! _I thought to myself nervously as I pulled out my meager savings. _What __should __I __do?_

"Actually, I forgot to tell you, but there is a sale going on today. That will be 750G," Cam hastily added, noticing my financial quandary.

"No, that's not-"

"There is a sale, Lillian. Do you want the bouquet or not?" Cam said sternly.

"Thank you," I said, thoroughly mortified. I handed him the remainder of my earnings and took the bouquet before practically sprinting back to my house. Cam said no more, though I could've sworn I heard a laugh behind me as I returned to my home.

"Why must I embarrass myself every living day? Get your act together, Lillian," I scolded myself. "I've got to work on that. And I should stop talking to myself. I feel kind of insane."

I placed the flowers into an empty vase in my room with water to keep them alive until tomorrow. Then, I got out my outfit for Rutger's party. I was determined to look my best in front of the entire village and have a fun, hopefully non-humiliating time.

By four o'clock, I was swaddled in my soft sheets and curled into fetal position, drifting into a much-needed sleep and eager for the day ahead.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

I woke before the sun rose, like a good farmer should, and washed up in record time. I had a big day ahead - I promised Kana I would visit Konohana, and Rutger's birthday party was at six o'clock today. I groaned, imagining the long, tedious ride across the mountain.

Slipping into a casual summer dress, I tended to my animals with extra care. The air was not too humid, and my animals seemed very happy. I gave my horse a treat for putting up with me, and brushed my cows' fur gently before milking them. My chickens had multiplied; I now had about five or six. They scrambled to the pile of chicken feed in split-seconds, and I gathered the eggs they had laid during their feeding frenzy.

By the time I had watered my crops and devoured my breakfast, it had to have been ten o'clock; the sun began to beat down against my shoulders as I mounted my horse, and everything was cloaked with the glowing, golden rays of sunshine.

I felt my stomach growl, and realized that perhaps a couple boiled eggs were not sufficient for breakfast. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I found myself back in my kitchen, preparing some hot milk with cinnamon. I poured it from the pot into a jar and walked to Ash's house, knocking cautiously on the door. It swung open almost immediately. Ash looked at me, confused, and then noticed the steaming jar in my hands.

"Lillian, come on in!" he said excitedly. "I've been waiting for some of that hot milk!"

We entered the kitchen, which was otherwise empty. "Where's Cheryl?" I asked, surprised. _She's usually attached to Ash like a parasite, _I recalled. _That can't be healthy._

"She's helping Ma and Rose make some food for Rutger's party tonight. Don't be late, now," Ash reminded me.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I said with a small laugh.

Ash set a plate of the salad he had made for the cooking festival in front of me and sat down across from me. Sipping the hot milk, he smiled widely and proclaimed, "This is great! I love it! Thanks!"

"I'm glad you like it," I said proudly between mouthfuls of the delectable salad. "This salad is pretty good, too." _Pretty good is an understatement. He could be a gourmet chef._

"Pierre doesn't think so," Ash said, frowning slightly.

"Pierre's wrong. Konohana food isn't that great, trust me," I assured him. "You're a wonderful chef."

Ash was silent for a few awkward moments. Finally, he said, "I know Laney told you about my dad."

My fork slipped from my hand and fell to the ground. The sound echoed for some time, before I finally composed myself. "How did you know?"

"I'm good at reading people. Laney was acting really weird when I talked to her last night… But that's not important. Anyways, you should know that I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I'm fine. Our family's fine," Ash insisted, blushing almost as much as I was.

"I don't-" I began.

"I know," he interrupted. "I just wanted to make sure. You're a good person, Lillian."

"You, too," I said softly. More tense silence ensued until Ash cleared his throat and stood up, having finished the jar of milk.

"Well, the animals aren't going to care for themselves," he said with an awkward laugh. "Thanks for the hot milk. We should do this again sometime!"

"Yeah. Thanks for the salad, Ash," I said quickly, anxious to go to Konohana.

The ride to Konohana was peaceful. I had gotten used to the harmonious chirps of the birds, the babbling brooks, the rushing waterfalls - they soothed me, revitalized me. The humiliation from my encounter with Ash had worn off, and I was back to wondering about what had happened the night of the cooking festival. My brain seemed unwilling to help me out, so I sighed and made my way to Kana's place.

He was waiting outside, chatting with Hiro. I could hear his obnoxious laugh from the entrance of the village, and instinctively rolled my eyes.

"Hey, Lil! You came! I seriously doubted you actually would," he greeted me cheerily, helping me dismount from my horse. For some inexplicable reason, I felt safe in his arms. _Safe? _I screamed at myself. _Kana is the last person in the world anyone should feel _safe_ with._

"Nice to see you too," I grumbled sarcastically. "Hello, Hiro, how are you doing today?" I asked the doctor, who was blatantly stifling a giggle.

"He's got a date with Nori tonight," Kana whispered in my ear as he set me down.

I resisted the urge to squeal, "Awww!" and give Hiro a congratulatory hug, instead smiling coyly at him.

"Yes… Well, erm, I must be on my way now! There is always more to learn!" Hiro declared, running towards the hospital.

"Did I say something?" I asked Kana once we led my horse into the stable.

"He's always a nervous wreck, and a total nerd. You'll get used to it," Kana explained. "There's something I've gotta show you, though!"

"Lead the way," I said, wondering why I wasn't more afraid.

"It's not far," he said, grabbing my hand casually and pulling me to the blocked off entrance of the tunnel connecting the two towns. My face burnt red once I realized he was holding my hand, and I slid my hand out of his grasp casually, using the excuse that I had to brush a strand of my hair behind my ear. He didn't seem to notice; he was always running his fingers through his untidy hair as well.

We stood, staring at the rubble and debris blocking off the tunnel for a few moments before Kana asked me, "What made you decide to live in Bluebell?"

I was taken by surprise by this. "Well… Rutger and Ina told me about both of the villages when I arrived, and I really like animals, so I thought I might enjoy Bluebell more. Not that there's anything wrong with Konohana," I added hastily.

"And now? Do you think you made the right choice?"

I had never heard him speak so seriously. "I guess. I like Bluebell. I like Konohana, too. Bluebell just feels more like home now."

"What did Ina tell you when you first met?" Kana inquired.

Out of the blue, it felt as though my mind had stopped functioning; as I tried to recall my first meeting with the two mayors, everything went black and I felt extremely faint. My knees wobbled, and I collapsed forwards, directly into Kana's arms, my mouth gaping with shock.

"What just happened?" I asked anxiously, rubbing my throbbing forehead with my index fingers.

Kana looked truly concerned. "You're asking me? You just sort of fell over-"

"Everything went black!" I exclaimed, bordering hysteria. "I don't know what's wrong, but I can't seem to remember what happened when I first moved here. Come to think of it, I can't remember much of anything that happened before…" My voice trailed off, and my eyes welled with tears I quickly rubbed away. My feet had steadied, and I tore myself from Kana's firm grasp hurriedly.

"The accident?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Y-Yeah," I replied after awhile. I wasn't sure how long. I tried thinking about my old life, and specific conversations I had, but was only drawing a blank. I remembered the important things, like my cousin's wedding, my confirmation, my graduation, arguments I had with my parents… But my day-to-day life had simply vanished from my mind.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Kana asked nervously. "I'm worried."

An unexpected smile formed on my face. "I like you better when you're not worried. It's not important. I'm fine. I don't care about before. It's what's happening now that's important," I said honestly. "Just… Just talk to me about the tunnel. Please." I realized that he could tell me anything and I would believe him, having close to no recollection of that Rutger and Ina told me about the villages, but I had faith in him for a reason I could not seem to grasp. _He wouldn't lie to me, I'm sure of it._

"If you insist," he said. He sounded unconvinced that I was healthy and/or sane, but continued to speak anyway. "A really long time ago - like, hundreds of years ago - Bluebell and Konohana were super tight. Crazy, right?" he laughed, seeing my shocked facial expression. "We had cooking festivals, but we all basically saw each other every day. We were always visiting each other and trading. My great-great-grandfather actually married a Bluebell girl. I've got some Bluebell in my blood; I think that's where I get my love for animals. I try not to get too grossed out by it," he joked. "But anyways, after time, tensions began to grow. Some total jerk began trying to make competition between the two villages, saying that one village cooked better than the other. Others began to join in, and one day there was a fight in the tunnel. There was a lot of yelling, and someone was actually killed. Then, all of a sudden, the tunnel began to cave in on itself. No one knows why, but we're all pretty sure it had to do with all of the yelling. My grandma always told me that her mom told her it was like an avalanche; everyone rushed out just in time, and then it was closed off completely. Totally insane. After that, the villages only communicated to compete in the cooking festivals," Kana finished with a sigh.

"Someone was killed over _food_?" I asked, stunned. "Seriously?" In the back of my mind, I dimly felt a small ray of happiness shining through the disappointment and shock; Kana was partially Bluebellian. _Maybe he's not so bad after all._

"It's more than food to a lot of the villagers," Kana explained sadly. "It's something way more important. It's pride."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

I left Konohana in a rush. Kana stared at me as though I was crazy the entire time I mounted my horse and sped out of the village. I decided that he was probably right, but I also decided to attempt the impossible: resolve the feud between the two villages, and restore their friendship.

I don't know what clicked in me as Kana explained the argument between the villages, but I suddenly felt as though it was my life goal to fix their broken bond. If I didn't, no one else would. I needed to go home and think of ways I could slowly help the villagers befriend one another. My horse seemed unwilling to hurry, and was walking leisurely, much to my frustration.

I nearly laughed at myself as my thoughts of reuniting Konohana and Bluebell ran through my head. _It can't be done. The villages have hated each other for hundreds of years. What makes you think that you'll be able to bring the villages back together? _I asked myself.

"You're a breath of fresh air," a singsong voice said, seemingly in reply to my thoughts. But that was impossible.

I swung around, my horse halting immediately. I found myself just a couple of feet away from a tall, slender woman with glowing white skin and a silky braid of thick, emerald hair.

"Who are you?" I asked, almost afraid. "Why were you following me?"

"I don't follow anyone, Lillian. I live here. I'm the Harvest Lady!" she declared proudly. "There's nothing I don't know about the two villages, yet no one seems to notice me. They choose not to see me, I think. I'm an invisible woman."

"Am I imagining you, then? How do you know my name?" I asked, hopping off of my horse to get a closer look at the beautiful woman, wearing a shimmering silver gown.

"There's nothing I don't know about the two villages. You're a breath of fresh air," the Harvest Lady repeated. "You can see me because you're new to these villages. You haven't been blinded by prejudice so that all you care about is what concerns you on your path to the top."

"That's not all the people in these villages care about!" I argued. "It's bigger than that!"

The Harvest Lady laughed. "There's a boy, isn't there?" she asked mischievously, a twinkle in her silver eyes.

"It's not about a boy," I said angrily. "The people in these villages care about more than just food. They care about their friends and families and livestock and crops and-"

"You haven't been ignored for hundreds of years. I don't expect you to see what I see," she cut me off. "If there's nothing more you want to talk about-"

It was my turn to interrupt her. "I want to reunite the villages," I blurted out, expecting her to laugh at me.

She simply smiled, as though she was pleased. "I want you to, too. I can tell you how."

"That would be great, actually… I've got a party to get ready for, and I don't have a lot of time to brainstorm," I admitted.

"That's fine. I have a list for you, Lillian. Here it is," she said, slipping me an envelope. "Now, I must be on my way. The life of a Harvest Lady is quite busy, actually. If you need me, I dwell near the spring on the mountaintop."

With the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"That's… This is… Impossible!" I muttered to myself. "Impossible! I must've imagined-"

The envelope waited expectantly in my hands. I shoved it into my rucksack, thinking it would disappear by the time I arrived at my home. Suddenly, I noticed the darkening sky; the sun was setting.

"But it was hardly afternoon! I was only talking to the Harvest Lady for a minute!" I said out loud. "Am I going crazy?"

I rushed home, afraid I was late for Rutger's birthday party.

Something odd was going on; I was sure of it.

* * *

><p>I sprinted to the town hall with the flowers I had purchased for Rutger, praying I wasn't late. I had cleaned up nicely; I had a sparkly, champagne-colored, fitted dress on with matching wedge heels. My hair was braided to the side. I knew I'd likely be overdressed, but I couldn't resist; I had bought the dress and shoes in Chicago, and never had a chance to wear them.<p>

There was a sign on the door that directed me to go to the second door on the right; I opened it to find most of the town sitting at long wooden tables under dimly-lit chandeliers.

Rutger stood up to greet me; he, Rose, Jessica, Grady, Eileen, and Howard were sitting at a table together. I noticed the food had not been served yet, and thanked the heavens.

"Happy birthday, Mayor Rutger!" I said, handing him the beautiful white bouquet.

"Thank you, Lillian! That was hardly necessary! You're too kind," the old man said with a wrinkly smile. "Now, take your seat with the other young ones. They've been waiting for you!"

My eyes widened. _How late am I?_

"Lillian! Over here!" Laney called from a table in the corner of the room. She was sitting with Georgia, Cam, Cheryl, and Ash. There was still one seat open for me.

I rushed over and grabbed the seat between Laney and Georgia. "What time is it?" I asked anxiously.

"I don't know, maybe a quarter past six. Why?" Laney asked. She looked perplexed.

"I lost track of time. Never mind. Thanks," I said, greeting everyone else at the table quickly. Cam looked especially gorgeous - he wore a purple tie with a black vest over a white button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His purple hat made his brunette hair brush his eyelashes adorably.

"You look nice, Lillian," Cam said with the traces of what could have been a smile.

I blushed a deep red. "Thanks, Cam. You, too."

He gave me a small nod of thanks, and Ash looked at me oddly.

"Mayor Rutger and Rose are so cute!" Cheryl said abruptly, craning her neck so she could see their table. Rutger had his arm around his petite, frail wife protectively. "They've been married for a bajillion years!"

"Cheryl!" Ash admonished her with a small smile. "They're not that old!"

"Why, Mayor Rutger's older than Texas itself, I'd 'spect," Georgia remarked jokingly.

"Ma was just a toddler when he gave Rose her blue feather," Ash said with wide eyes. "Rose was the prettiest girl in the village!"

"What's a blue feather for?" I asked, confused.

Jaws dropped all around the table, except for Cam's. He just laughed.

"I can't believe we never told you!" Laney exclaimed, looking guilty.

"A blue feather is how you propose marriage to someone," Ash explained.

"It's just like an engagement ring," Georgia added.

"Why do they use blue feathers? That doesn't make sense," I replied, immediately regretting my words. I was sure I sounded rude, but I couldn't stop myself.

"Why do you city people use engagement rings? Tradition," Cam answered plainly.

"Are you supposed to wear them as a necklace?" I inquired, hoping I didn't come off as ignorant.

"Why is everything about jewelry with girls?" Cam said with a tiny grin. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but I blushed nonetheless.

"If you wear it, you might lose it! You're supposed to keep it somewhere safe and treasure it forever," Cheryl elucidated.

I thought that sounded boring, but I didn't say so. "Thanks for explaining," I said.

We continued to make interesting conversation; we talked about which seasons were our favorites and why.

"Summer, of course," I said as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe. Georgia nodded in agreement.

"Spring," Laney and Ash said in unison; she blushed at this while Ash remained oblivious.

"Autumn," Cam said, much to my surprise. "Although the flowers are dying, the trees turn such a beautiful color."

_How poetic, _I thought to myself before I could help myself.

Cheryl's shrill voice brought me back to earth. "Winter! Snow!"

We talked about animals, and everyone made sure I was handling my livestock and crops well. I was touched by their concern, and assured them that I was handling everything nicely. Next, we spoke of the cooking festival; who would be entering next time?

"You didn't hear it from me, but Rutger wants you to enter, Lillian," Ash whispered.

"But I can't cook!" I groaned.

"You can make a mean hot milk, and maybe the theme next month will be beverages! Who knows?" he said hopefully.

"Speaking of food, it's time to eat," Laney interrupted, pointing to the line forming at the buffet table. We all dashed into the line as quickly as possible and dug into the delectable steak sandwiches, tomato soup, Italian-style salad, and steamed vegetables.

_This _was my kind of food.

* * *

><p>After we sang happy birthday to Rutger, Eileen set up some music on a severely outdated record player, and the dancing began. Howard asked her to dance, and soon, they were twirling to classical music next to Rutger and Rose. Grady and Jessica joined them shortly after, much to Cheryl and Georgia's disgust.<p>

"Let's get out of here. Show me your ponies!" Cheryl demanded, and Georgia did not protest.

"Cheryl can be immature sometimes," Ash said to me, "but this isn't one of those times. I'm out. Laney, how can you stand watching this? Parents aren't supposed to dance!"

"I can't. I'll go with you, wherever you're going. I don't care," Laney responded desperately, leaving me and Cam alone at the table.

"That was quick," I noted, rolling my eyes.

"Imagine your parents dancing," Cam said.

"I'd rather not. Imagine yours," I mumbled.

"I don't have parents," Cam replied emotionlessly.

I decided not to ask what had happened to them. "I-I suppose I don't, either. I'm probably not going to see them for quite a while."

"Let's dance," he demanded rather than requested, extending his hand to me.

I gladly accepted, and before I realized what was happening, he had pulled me to a quiet corner of the large room, far from the embarrassing adults, and his hands were on my waist, and my hands were on his shoulders, and we were swaying back and forth…

"Claire De Lune," Cam whispered, unbelievably close to me.

"It's a pretty song," I said, unable to reply with constructive, intelligent comments.

"Your eyes are the color of French lilacs. They're one of my favorite kinds of flowers, but not a natural eye color," Cam informed me almost accusingly.

"My eyes are natural," I said honestly, staring into his almond-shaped eyes of bright green.

"Okay." He didn't sound sarcastic, but didn't sound like he believed me, 100%.

I didn't care.

His chest was nearly pressed against mine.

I tuned out the music completely; all I could see was him - his shining eyes, his perfectly tousled hair, his clear skin…

His face was so close to mine that an accidental push could send our lips crashing into each other.

_Why not kiss him?_

He was so close to me.

I could have sworn he was leaning in, and then-

"I have to wake up early tomorrow. I'd better go home and get some sleep. Goodnight, Lillian," he said unexpectedly - hastily, even - and with that he was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** The Harvest Lady is meant to be some form of the Harvest Goddess. I'm just modifying her character a bit because I HATE the Harvest Goddess to the point where I can hardly tolerate her. The Harvest Lady is basically the Harvest Goddess, but she's not holy and all-powerful and worshipped. Sorry if you don't like that modification.

* * *

><p>Chapter Twelve<p>

I walked home, dazed and confused. Why had Cam suddenly backed out a moment before our lips met? Or was it all in my imagination? Were we just dancing? Was his face getting closer and closer to mine just in my head? I hoped I didn't scare him off.

"Men are so confusing," I muttered angrily as I sped home. The village was dark and rather frightening at night. This day had been so odd, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

I heard muffled voices coming from my right, and realized that Laney was at Ash's house. Tiptoeing as quietly as possible, I stationed myself directly outside the door of the house and listened closely.

"Sorry for telling Lillian about your dad," I heard Laney say. She sounded sincere and upset and afraid that Ash might be angry with her.

"It's nothing. Don't mention it," Ash replied instantly. "So, how's the café?"

I winced - Ash had sounded a bit impatient with her. However, Ash must have been able to read her like a book to sense that she was keeping something from him, which made me assume that they had a tight bond.

_Their bond is definitely tighter than mine with Cam._

Why had he just walked home? I was sure he could have waited. I tried to force myself to stop thinking of him.

_It's just a silly crush. You don't really like him._

_ Then why can't you stop thinking about him?_

I shook my head, irritated with myself, and made a mental note to ask Kana his opinion on the matter tomorrow. I knew he would probably just laugh, but I needed a guy to turn to for even the smallest piece of advice, and I definitely could not go to Ash - he was Cam's best friend.

"Goodbye, Ash," Laney said softly, somewhere near the doorway inside the house.

_Shit._

I ran home as fast as I possibly could, not stopping to breath until I was lying on my bed. Staring at the moldy ceiling, I once again found myself curious as to why Cam had backed out.

"Think of something else. Anything else," I said aloud.

My mind wandered to the night I had spent at Kana's. I was still certain that I was forgetting something that happened. There was something he wasn't telling me. I would ask him tomorrow.

Then, I remembered the Harvest Lady… "The envelope!"

I dug through my rucksack, tossed haphazardly in the corner. I retrieved the envelope and tore it open. On silky, shimmering paper that looked as though it was made out of diamonds and moonlight, a list was written in a fancy script.

_Lillian's List: Bringing the Two Villages Together Once More_

_-Get to know as many people as possible in both of the villages_

_-Throw parties_

_-Enter the cooking festivals_

_-Don't be afraid to try more food from Konohana (just because it ended rather oddly last time doesn't mean you shouldn't give it another try)_

_-Go for walks_

_-Play games_

_-Be the breath of fresh air that you are_

_-Logic is your tool _

_-C__ommunication is your steady hand_

_Have fun!_

"Logic is your tool… Communication is your steady hand."

That quote echoed throughout my mind. It made enough sense to me; befriend everyone to the point where I'm close enough to help them see past their prejudice. I knew what to do, but I had a long way to go.

Planning a party sounded fun, and I already had an ideal guest list in mind. I decided that my plans could wait; my eyelids felt as heavy as lead. I needed some sleep.

Sliding into a plaid nightshirt, I released my hair from the braid it was in, back to thinking about Cam.

However, as soon as my head hit my pillow, I was in a deep, coma-like, beautifully dreamless sleep.

My room was already hot with late-spring sunlight when I woke up. I really needed an alarm clock; it had to have been nearing ten o'clock by the time I had showered and dressed into my work-clothes.

I tended to my animals at lightning speed and ate a small breakfast of scrambled eggs. Today was the day I would plan my party for all of the teenagers and young adults of both Bluebell and Konohana.

I knew it was kind of crazy. I suspected that it might not work. But I also knew that Ash and Cam and Laney and Georgia had no major vendettas against Kana and Reina and Hiro and Nori. Georgia disliked Kana, but she wouldn't miss a social gathering because he'd be there. I knew Reina and Cam would get along splendidly, and felt the tiniest pang of jealousy. Laney and Nori would likely exchange recipes, and Ash and Hiro were too kind-hearted and easygoing to _not_ get along with everybody. Their personalities would all mesh well, I was quite sure of it.

I mounted onto my horse quickly and sped all the way to Konohana. Even if we had been going slowly, I was certain that I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the beautiful scenery - Cam had planted himself in the center of my mind and all of my thoughts permanently. I couldn't _not_ think about him.

_What did I do wrong?_

"What's up, Lil? You look like something's bothering you," Kana observed as we sat in Yun's Tea House.

I looked up slowly. The warm green tea had calmed me slightly, but every time I looked at Kana, I could only think of that night I spent in Konohana, and longed to ask Kana what had really happened. I also desperately desired to ask him for his opinion on Cam's almost-kiss.

_What are you waiting for?_

I knew Kana wouldn't seriously make fun of me. He would joke, and then say something helpful and meaningful and genuine. He always did.

"You have to promise not to lie to me," I began, pulling myself away from my savory beverage.

"Promise. Cross my heart," he responded immediately, looking uneasy.

I looked around. No one except for Yun and Gombe were in the café, and they were deep in conversation with each other, Yun blushing immensely.

"What happened the night I stayed at your house?" I whispered. "Tell me everything!"

He was suddenly blushing as deeply as Yun. "You honestly don't remember that we-"

"We _what_? What did we do?" I nearly shouted. Yun glanced over at us for a moment, but soon returned her attention to Gombe.

"Well," Kana began, sounding more anxious than I had ever heard him, "what do you remember?"

I retraced my memory and concentrated, rubbing my forehead as though that would bring back everything I had forgotten. "I drank water. We talked… We talked about the world, and how you never saw it like I did, and how Nori's the only girl you-"

"Shut up!" he said, smiling nervously. "You know how gossip travels."

"I remember us talking. Is that… That's all we did, right?"

Kana looked at me morosely. "Really? You're not joking?"

"I thought we trusted each other!" I hissed, crossing my arms.

"Ugh. Fine," he said, leaning in so he could whisper something into my ear. Tension grew in me as he got closer. What was he going to say? My past was in his hands, as odd of a thought as that was. "We… may or may not have kissed at some point that evening."

"What?" I pulled away from him quickly. "When? Why? How? It was just a kiss, right?"

"Chill! It was no big deal, okay?" he said, looking amazingly uncomfortable.

"Who initiated said kiss?" I demanded.

"Are you interrogating me?" he asked, stunned.

"Yes, yes I am!" I exclaimed. Yun and Gombe rolled their eyes and strolled out of the café.

"Alright, fine! I initiated, but you went along with it," Kana answered, trying to hide a grin.

"I was drunk!" I reminded him.

"Sorry. It was just a kiss, I promise," he vowed, making the sign of the cross.

"Was tongue involved in aforementioned kiss?" I whispered.

"You can't just-" Kana began, but I interrupted him.

"Answer!" I couldn't believe that I had already had my first kiss here, and it was with Kana of all people.

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "Sorry for ruining your life."

His downtrodden tone brought me back to earth. I came to my senses and sat there, deciding to do the decent thing and think before I next spoke.

_There are worse things in the world than kissing Kana. _

_I just would have liked to remember my first _real, actual _kiss._

_He obviously doesn't like you like that._

_We can still be friends._

_I've already literally forgotten it ever happened, and Kana's a nice guy._

"W-Was I good at it?" I squeaked.

"What?" he laughed, a grin returning to his face. It didn't look the same without one.

"You heard me."

"Yeah, you were."

"Let's still be friends, okay?" I requested, extending my arm. He shook it immediately and firmly.

"Yeah. Definitely. I've said this before, but you have more personality than the rest of the girls in these villages combined. You're really something, Lil," Kana said amiably.

"Likewise," I replied honestly. Kana was definitely special.

"I need to go check on my horses. Wanna come with?" he invited me.

"Totally!"

We spent the next hour or so brushing and feeding the five horses staying in his stable until someone rented them out and the one horse that he kept for himself. He introduced me to her - Hayate. He explained that they had been raised together and he fed her every day until she let him ride her. I laughed; I imagined Kana as a child, still just as stubborn and crazy. I noted that she was just like a brother or sister to Kana, and he agreed. He told me that she was getting older, but was still as strong and beautiful as ever. Hayate seemed to like me, which made me happy for a reason I couldn't pinpoint.

After we took care of the horses, we had some rice candy Kana had in his house and sat down to talk. It had been such a great day, and it felt nice finally having a normal conversation with someone. Finally, I decided to ask him for advice.

"I was wondering… Could I have your opinion on something?" I asked him cautiously as I nibbled on one of the candies.

He merely nodded, his mouth being stuffed with at least five of them.

"At Rutger's birthday party yesterday, Cam asked me to dance and then he leaned in - well, it felt like he was leaning in - and I thought he was going to kiss me, and then he said he had to go, and he was just gone, just like that!" I poured out the thoughts that had been bothering me for much too long. "What did I do wrong? We were just talking!"

"You didn't do anything wrong. He just seems like a jerk," Kana said, frowning. "Don't waste your time on someone who's just gonna leave you hanging."

I should have listened to those words.

Instead, I shoved them to the back of my mind, shrugged, and returned to Bluebell to begin planning my party.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The next couple of weeks passed much too quickly. I was insanely busy - the amount of animals on my farm somehow increased exponentially, and I had to gather wood and save up money so Eileen would clear out the trees and add on to the pen in order to make more space for the animals.

However, more animals meant more products, and that meant more food and more money. I was doing well, and I was immensely proud of myself for being able to handle not only the animals and plants (Rutger had supplied me with turnip and potato seeds), but the whole business factor of farming; in addition to tending for my animals, I managed my expenses, created a budget, and still had time to socialize.

I hardly spoke to Cam save a few awkward encounters filled with meaningless small talk about the weather and his flower shop, and once to give him an invitation to the party I was throwing. I spent most of my free time going for walks with Laney (I enjoyed them very much, as it felt nice to have a friend that I could exchange recipes and talk about absolutely anything with), meeting up with Ash to exchange my hot milk for some food he had prepared and advice for tending to my animals or just conversation in general, helping Kana with his horses (I wasn't obsessed with the creatures like he was; his passion for horses was borderline crazy. I did, however, bring him horse treats that I bought from Diego, and in return, he taught me all about the different breeds of horses he had and how to take care of them), gathering herbs from the mountain to brew tea (I brought back chamomile and mint for Laney, and in return she made me food), and refining my cooking skills. The next cooking festival was in three days (I promised Rutger that I would be entering; the theme was desserts), and tonight was my party.

I had Laney help me with the preparations. She was just as excited as I was, and we spent all day working. She baked two sponge cakes, one chocolate and one vanilla, while I set up chairs and tables on the mountaintop with some help from Ash. We decided the only practical place to hold the party was on the mountaintop - the voyage from village to village was a long one, and the mountaintop was neutral territory. Nori said she would bring buckets of stew (less spicy this time, she had promised; I thanked her for that) and Ash promised to make copious amounts of macaroni and cheese.

I had to admit that I was slightly nervous. _What if I'm wrong about how I think the villagers will interact? What if they all hate each other? _I asked myself as I dried my hair and braided it sloppily, too preoccupied with my thoughts - still focused on theories as to why Cam didn't kiss me - to put much care into my appearance. I threw on a jean skirt that buttoned down the center and tucked an oversized plaid shirt into it. I dabbed on some lip gloss sparingly (my supply was running low, and for some reason I doubted Diego would sell any) and slipped on my brown boots.

There was a knock at my door as the sweltering almost-summer sun began to make its descent.

"Come on in, Laney," I greeted the bubbling blonde girl. Her hair was done differently, let down rather than up in a bun like it usually was, and she looked simply beautiful. Her silky, golden tresses reached past her chest, and her bright smile seemed to make her glow. She wore a bubblegum-pink lip-stain and a baby-blue dress.

"Wow," I gasped as she entered my home. We had made plans to ride to the mountaintop together.

Laney giggled. "Daddy let me use some of his make-up!" she said excitedly.

I laughed at Howard's cute quirkiness. "Ash won't be able to resist," I smiled and winked.

Laney blushed, her cheeks matching the color of her lips. "He's not mad at me anymore, and Cheryl's not invited to the party tonight, so I'm hoping he'll spend some time with me alone after the party, maybe," she whispered, as though Ash was outside, eavesdropping.

"I bet he will. You look gorgeous!" I told her, meaning every word.

"You, too! I love that skirt," Laney replied. "You have the oddest sense of fashion, but it's so adorable!"

"Thanks! You can borrow it whenever you want. We should be on our way, now… How awful would it be if we were late to our own party?" I said, leading her to the stable.

"She's so pretty. What's her name?" Laney inquired, gently petting my snow-white horse.

"Luna. I thought the color of her fur looked like the moonlight," I informed Laney, helping her mount the pony and then climbing on after her.

"She's such a sweetheart," Laney noted as Luna neighed joyously. She trotted peacefully from the village of Bluebell towards the mountaintop. As we passed the clearing where the Harvest Lady had approached me, I found myself wondering whether or not she really existed, or if she was a product of my overtired imagination.

_If she's not real, why do you have the envelope she sent you in your rucksack? _I reminded myself. I decided to ask Laney; I couldn't be the only person in the villages who had seen the Harvest Lady.

"Laney, have you ever seen a woman on the mountain? Just… wandering?" I asked her. I hoped I didn't come off as crazy, which was too often the case.

"Why, what do you mean? Just a random woman?" Laney replied skeptically.

"Yeah. She has bright green hair-"

Laney burst out laughing. "No one has green hair, silly!"

"Well, maybe it was just a dream…" My voice trailed off, and I was more confused than I had been originally.

"You're a little weird, Lillian. Has anyone ever told you that?" Laney queried me. "It's not a bad thing," she added quickly.

"Yeah, they have," I grimaced, remembering the dark days of high school. "It's a lot better here, though, because everyone here is different."

"That's true," Laney said. "We're probably weird to you."

"I've gotten used to it, and I like it," I said truthfully as we dismounted from my horse and tied her to the parking post.

"I'll go set down these cakes. They're still warm!" Laney announced, visibly pleased at her cooking skills.

I checked my watch (given to me by Rutger for 1900G, as I was in desperate need of one) and saw that it was ten to six. "People should start arriving in about ten or fifteen minutes," I informed Laney. In the meantime, I organized the tables and chairs nicely and set out the plates and silverware.

"Hey, Lillian! Laney!" a voice called.

We turned around to see Ash and Cam walking towards us. Ash held a large pot of macaroni and cheese, which Laney immediately helped him carry to the food table, and Cam was holding a bouquet of white flowers.

"Lilium candidum," Cam said quietly, handing me the bouquet. "Lilies are a symbol of purity. These were shipped from west Asia. I hope you like them."

"You didn't have to-" I began, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. I had just noticed he had the smallest trace of a French accent, which made me blush even more.

"But I did," he interrupted. "Enjoy them."

"They're beautiful. Thank you," I said, laying them cautiously on a table. Cam smiled, looking satisfied, and went to talk to Ash, who was chatting with Laney. She looked displeased when Cam stole him from her, and came to talk to me.

"Cam is _so _annoying," Laney huffed once we were out of earshot of the two young men. "I helped him choose which flowers to give to you and he repays me by interrupting my conversation-"

"Wait, you knew? Why did he bring me flowers?" I asked her inquiringly. My cheeks were still warm, and my heart was fluttering.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!" was the only answer Laney offered me, and before I could respond, I saw Kana, Hiro, Nori, and Reina walking up to the mountaintop.

"See? I told you guys it wasn't a joke. Lil's pony is here!" I heard Kana say smugly. "Isn't she the prettiest little thing?" Luna neighed contentedly, and I found myself giggling as I went to greet Kana and the other Konohana villagers.

"Glad you could make it," I greeted each of them, grinning widely. "It's so nice to see you guys again!"

"Thank you for inviting us. It's not every day a Bluebell villager is so kind to us," Nori said with a blissful smile. I helped her carry the heavy bucket of stew to the table.

"I thought it would be nice if all of the teenagers could get to know each other," I told her, pleasantly surprised that they had all showed up. "I know we have our differences, but-"

"Tonight is not the time to discuss them," Reina cut in. "We can all argue tomorrow at the cooking festival."

I couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but laughed anyways. "Kana, are you still petting Luna?" I asked him with a sigh. "Has he always been this-"

"Rude? Insane? Weird? Yes," Hiro chuckled. Kana finally walked over, standing in between Nori and I, and rolled his eyes.

"Thought so," I replied. "Have you all met Laney?"

"Not… decently," Hiro admitted. He extended an arm. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Laney. I'm Hiro, Doctor Ayame's apprentice."

"I can tell. You're still wearing your fancy doctor's robe," Laney observed, shaking his hand vigorously. "Nice to meet you, too!"

Hiro's face tinged pink, and I was unsure if it was because he found himself attracted to Laney or if it was because her handshake had knocked the wind out of the skinny little thing.

"I'm Nori. Lillian told me that cooking is very important to you, as well!" Nori said happily, shaking Laney's hand. "We must cook together sometime!"

Laney's face lit up instantly, and, just like that, the two of them started talking about their favorite recipes and substitutes for ingredients and the differences between the village cuisine and how they could create a collaboration between the food of Bluebell and the food of Konohana.

Cam and Ash joined our circle, along with Georgia, who had just arrived. "I'm Ash. It's great to finally get to meet all of you guys!" Ash said cheerily, shaking hands with everyone. Nori tore herself away from her conversation with Laney for a split-second, just to shake his hand, before going back to talking about the different ways of preparing potato salad.

"Oh, cooking is so overrated," Reina complained, crossing her arms. "Is there _anyone_ besides me who cares about plants?"

Cam's jaw dropped, and all of the Bluebell villagers laughed.

"I'm Cam. I studied botany and came back here to start a flower shop," he introduced himself.

Reina looked flustered and pleased, and their conversation took off seconds later.

"Flowers," Kana scoffed. "How do you guys make fun of me for studying horses when you study things that don't even _move_? Or _talk_?"

"Take that back!" Cam and Reina said simultaneously. Cam sounded more aggressive than I had ever heard him.

"Make me," Kana said with a roguish grin. He was roughly two or three times more muscular than Cam, and even I had to admit that Kana could clobber him in an instant if they ever fought.

Reina rolled her eyes, and she pulled Cam to one of the tables, where I overheard the two of them discussing their favorite things to say to plants.

_What if he falls for her? He'll dance with her and he'll kiss her and it's my entire fault for organizing this party! _I thought fearfully. However, I didn't have much time to dwell on these worrisome thoughts; Kana grabbed me aside and took me to the table furthest away from where Cam and Reina were sitting, and as we began to talk about his horses and how our days were going and anything and everything in general, my mind was preoccupied with happier thoughts than Cam snogging Reina. I suspected that was Kana's intention.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hiro, Georgia, and Ash sitting at the same table as Laney and Nori, and they were all getting along swimmingly. I smiled with pride. Suddenly, I remembered something I needed to ask Kana.

"Do you ever see a lady on the mountains?" I asked him in a hushed voice. I didn't need anyone else thinking I was crazy.

"A… What? Why would there be some random chick on the mountains?" he asked, sounding baffled.

"She has green hair, and her dress is silver. She's barefoot, and she's not from Bluebell or Konohana," I attempted to describe the Harvest Lady to him, but he still looked puzzled.

"I don't know who you're talking about. I don't go on the mountains very often, though. Sorry…" Kana was looking at me weirdly, and I quickly changed the topic.

The sun began to set, and I dragged Kana to the edge of the mountaintop to watch it. The sky exploded with deep blues and pinks and purples, and Kana shook his head as I watched it in awe. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and watching the stars appear like bright lanterns in the sky was truly magical. I saw Hiro squeeze Nori's hand as they watched it, and her face changed from a bright peachy color to a deep shade of red. Georgia, Laney, and Ash were talking and laughing, too busy to notice the sunset, as were Cam and Reina.

"I think we should eat now. It's only been an hour and a half, but we don't want to go home when it's pitch-black out," I announced. Kana had returned to a table, joined by Nori and Reina, and Hiro was now talking to Ash and Georgia. Cam and Laney were sitting in silence; it was obvious that she was still upset with him.

"We should form a neat, single-file line," Hiro suggested.

"Last one there is a rotten turnip!" Kana yelled, and rushed to the table with his plate and spoon.

The food was simply sublime. I thanked Ash and Nori and Laney for their contributions, and sat by Laney and Cam, as Hiro had taken up the last available seat at Kana, Nori, and Reina's table. We didn't speak much, except to compliment the food. With Laney's assistance, I put all of the dishes and utensils into a bag (they were from the café, and Laney and I would likely spend tomorrow cleaning them all) once everyone was done eating.

We had set up lanterns so that we could socialize even when it got dark, and decided to gather in a circle and play icebreaker games. It was childish but necessary; if I was going to reunite the two villages, we all needed to get to know each other quite well.

"We're going to go around in a circle and say our names and something about ourselves, okay?" I instructed. Everyone agreed, Kana laughing quietly to himself. "I'll start. I'm Lillian, and I… I…" I couldn't think of something to say about myself. _I'm so boring. No wonder Cam didn't want to kiss me! _"I like all of you guys a lot, and I think we should have these parties more often."

Laney, directly to my right, clapped loudly. "I'll go next! I'm Laney, and I love cooking! I run a café with my dad."

"I'm Nori, and I love cooking, too! I live with my grandfather, Gombe, and he runs the seed shop."

"I'm Hiro, and I think that medicine is very interesting! There's so much to learn!"

"I'm Ash, and I live to make my sister and my animals happy."

"Howdy! I'm Georgia, and I have the _best _horses in the world!"

"They call me Kana, and my horses are better than hers."

"I'm Cam, and I think that you should grow up."

"I'm Reina, and I studied botany in the city for a couple years. I work with my uncle, researching different types of plants and tending to our orchard."

"Great!" I said, inwardly laughing at Kana's comment, but worried that he and Cam would make fast enemies of each other. _I'll talk to them about that later._

"Y'all are so interesting!" Georgia said, looking to everyone except for Kana.

"It's getting late, so I think we should wrap things up," I proposed. My head was heavy and my knees were wobbly; I was full, contented, and tired.

"Let's have another one of these! I'll do the planning. We could even have it at Yun's Tea House or something, so we could stay later. This was a lot of fun!" Nori enthused. "You, Laney, and Georgia should come and have a slumber party at my place!"

"Am I invited?" Kana asked, mock-innocently.

Nori rolled her eyes, but thankfully didn't mention anything about the night I spent at his place, which I was sure she knew about - Kana was best friends with Hiro, who was obviously dating Nori, and gossip spread fast.

"That sounds great!" I replied, stuffing the bag of dishes into my rucksack and untying my horse from the parking post. The bouquet of flowers Cam had given me was also in the rucksack, and I was careful not to crush them. They were so beautiful.

"I'd love to discuss botany with you again. Feel free to stop by the orchard," I overheard Reina speaking to Cam. He merely nodded and said goodbye to everyone before walking back towards Bluebell with Ash and Georgia.

"'Night, Lil. This was great. Stop by Konohana tomorrow, I think Hayate misses you," Kana said before walking off with Hiro, Nori, and Reina, all waving their goodbyes.

Laney and I hopped onto my pony and rode back to Bluebell in exhaustion-induced silence. She fell asleep on my back, and I had Howard come outside and carry her to bed when I reached the café.

"She's not drunk, I promise. She's just tired," I vowed to Howard, and he laughed hysterically.

As soon as I reached my house, I collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep with an odd mix of emotions: jealousy that Reina and Cam had hit it off beautifully, joy that the majority of the Konohana villagers were getting along with us, and confusion - if Cam had cared enough to bring me flowers, why hadn't he cared enough to kiss me?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

One thing I had noticed about life in the villages was that time always seemed to pass too quickly or not at all. It was an odd feeling - one day could pass in the blink of an eye and the next one went on forever. I was just as busy as always, but with the weather heating up and summer approaching, the days got longer, and I found myself with more and more free time.

Time was a funny thing to the villagers. They didn't seem to keep track of it most of the time. They just knew where they had to be and when; they didn't burden themselves with the details. Most of the time, they had no idea what day it was, yet they knew when it was someone's birthday, or when it was a festival day. It was an acquired skill I was just beginning to pick up on by the end of spring.

I was also learning their village customs. In Bluebell, we had an animal contest that they didn't have in Konohana, but they had special crop festivals we didn't have. I also discovered that birthday parties were rarely celebrated. Ash explained this to me when he announced that it was his birthday and I offered to throw him a party. When he told me that only the mayors had birthday parties, I made him some hot milk and peanut-butter cookies instead.

My cooking skills were really improving. I borrowed ingredients from Laney and learned how to make scrumptious salads, marvelous main dishes, and delicious desserts. In exchange, I let her borrow my clothes. Ash complimented her on a pair of faded jean shorts she wore and she begged me to let her keep them. I immediately obliged - it made me happy to see her happy.

I also began taking on requests from the message board in my spare time, mainly because it gave me more excuses to talk to people... especially Cam. He was always asking for flowers from the mountain, and I frequently brought them to him in exchange for some food from Howard's.

I wasn't sure why, but I really began to fancy Cam, even more than I had all these months since he saved my life. It might have been his gorgeous hair and striking eyes or his knowledge of plants and witty, cool attitude, but I found myself hanging on every word he spoke to me and thinking about him more and more. When I brought him the flowers that he requested, he would tell me what they symbolized, or what they could be used for. He always made sure to let me know that his flowers were the best of the best. I liked his confidence. However, other than his flower talk, we didn't speak much, or go out of our ways to interact. I saw him when I went to Laney's house, and except for a quick greeting, he remained holed up in his room.

I visited Kana the day after the party to visit Hayate. She was growing on me, and Kana said that maybe one day if she was up to it, we could go for a ride together.

It had been three days since the party, and it felt like so much time had passed and at the same time, none at all. Either way, the day of the cooking festival had arrived, and I was entering a dessert dish, representing Bluebell in front of multitudes of spectators.

Laney had given me some of the ingredients I required to make chocolate pudding, and I toiled for a good hour - much longer than it should take to make pudding - before it was finally perfect.

Unfortunately, I had twenty minutes until the cooking festival was scheduled to start, and I was wearing dirty work clothes and sporting tangled hair and the smell of manure. I was also intending to get to the festival early in hopes of seeing the Harvest Lady, but I realized that wasn't going to happen.

Showering in record time, I gathered my hair into a loose ponytail, squeezed out as much water as possible, and tied it in a sky-blue ribbon. I threw on a lacy white dress with a studded denim vest that matched the ribbon, and, slipping on some pinstriped plimsoll sneakers, I grabbed my pudding and dashed to the stables to mount Luna.

Protectively cradling my pudding like it was a baby, I had forced Luna to go slow to prevent it from sloshing around, thus making my trip to the mountaintop even longer. I was five minutes late by the time I reached the gated area and tied Luna to the parking post, and I heard Rutger nervously insisting that I would arrive. Apparently, Ina wanted everything to go exactly as planned.

"I'm here!" I shouted, placing my pudding on the submissions stand for Bluebell alongside with Jessica and Howard, the other contestants for our village. Somewhere in the commotion, I heard Rutger sigh with relief and Kana laugh. "Sorry I was late, I-"

"Excuses are futile. Punctuality is of utmost importance," Ina interrupted coldly. "Let's begin to prevent further delay in our schedules. Pierre!"

I locked eyes with Laney, who motioned to Ina and rolled her eyes, and giggled quietly. Cam looked unexpectedly interested in the competition, surveying the platters of food for both our village and for Konohana. Ying had submitted something that resembled vomit, and Ayame's cookies were burnt on the sides. Yun had entered delicious-looking strawberry candies, but I had a feeling that Jessica's sweet-smelling apple pie and Howard's savory triple-chocolate cake would ensure a victory from Bluebell.

The sun glittered brightly against the clear sky. It was a perfect day for a win.

Pierre stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I'm sure you all have - er - spectacular food prepared for me today," he said doubtfully, eying Ying's platter. The little girl blushed, and Yun wrapped her arm around her. I felt the least bit guilty; we would win, but at what cost? Pierre shuddered and continued. "I will try Bluebell's food first!"

He ran over to me, pulled a dainty, intricately carved golden spoon from the pocket of his purple vest, and sampled the thick chocolate pudding. I watched nervously, along with the rest of the village. Pierre raised an eyebrow and his lips slowly twisted into a surprised grin. "Delicious!" he warbled, pleased.

Laney clapped and Kana looked astonished. Rutger smiled smugly, along with the rest of the village, while Ina let out a small, "Hmph."

"Th-Thank you, Mr. Gourmet," I responded, just as astounded as everyone else. He gave me a small, exuberant nod and moved on to Jessica. Her perfectly golden apple pie was mouthwatering.

"A beautiful presentation of what I am sure will be a delicious pie," Pierre noted, retrieving a matching golden fork from his pocket and tasting some of the apple pie. "Amazing! Perfect! Absolutely smashing!"

"Feel free to stop by my house and I'll make you one to take back to the Sunshine Islands," Jessica offered.

"Oh, I will! Thank you, dear. Natalie would love that," Pierre replied, and moved on to Howard.

"What have we here? Chocolate! My favorite!" Pierre squealed as he saw the triple-chocolate cake - Devil's food, chocolate chips, and chocolate frosting.

"I hope you like it!" Howard giggled as Pierre dug into the huge cake.

"Simply sublime!" Pierre enthused as he finished his first bite and went in for a second. "Bluebell has ended the season of spring on a strong note!"

"Ooh, thank you, Pierre!" Howard said happily.

"I must move on to Konohana's submissions now," Pierre said reluctantly. "I must bid you adieu for a few moments." Howard laughed and nodded as Pierre dragged himself to Ying's failed dish.

Pierre pulled out his spoon and scooped up some of the burnt crumbs. "Ah, darling, what have we here?" he asked, attempting to be polite.

"It's… It's… Matcha cookies…" Ying could barely speak. I felt the urge to hug her - she looked seconds away from tears.

Pierre ate it and I swore I could hear him cough. However, he pulled himself together and said, "Interesting flavor. Perhaps you should try cooking it for less time."

"I will… Next time… I told Grandma I wanted to make it all by myself…"

Pierre nodded curtly, smiled at the young girl, and moved on to Yun's strawberry candies. He lifted one into his mouth and grinned; it was clear he enjoyed them. "Wonderful cooking as usual, Yun. I do enjoy strawberry flavor."

Yun thanked him, and he moved on to Ayame. He frowned at the burnt cookies. "Well, a wonderful attempt…"

Ayame blushed in embarrassment, and Pierre nibbled on the cookies. "Hm. These are okay, I suppose."

He walked away and stood in the center, facing the audience. "Well, I have already chosen a winner, and I think you all know who it is. Congratulations to Bluebell on winning the last cooking festival of the season! The next festival will be in exactly two weeks, and it's an open theme competition! Be creative!"

Bluebell stood up, cheering and clapping. Laney ran up to me and hugged me. Everything was moving so fast, I could hardly think. I felt confidence surge through my veins as the Bluebell villagers screamed and shouted. The Konohana villagers sat in shocked silence, but slowly began walking back towards their village while Rutger kissed Rose and congratulated all of the villagers for their support. I didn't even think to say goodbye to Kana - the uproar from Bluebell was insane. People were dancing and slapping each other on the back and were too focused on each other to even think of yelling obscenities about Konohana.

There was something I had to do.

High on my success, I ran and found Cam while everyone was paying more attention to eating the rest of my pudding, Jessica's pie, and Howard's cake. My brain whirred and my heart thumped and I was sure my face was bright red, but I called Cam over to the edge of the mountaintop where you could see the endless mountains stretching for eternity against the bright blue sky.

Cam was looking at me intensely, smiling slyly. "Congratulations," he said. "You must be a very good cook."

I took a deep breath and began to speak. I had to tell him how I felt; I couldn't keep it in any longer, not on a day when everything seemed to be so perfect. Today was a day for surprises. Today was a day for success. "Cam, I-"

I never finished my sentence - Cam had stopped my lips with his own.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the hiatus! I'm busy with school, so I won't be able to update as much anymore until holidays, but this story is by no means over, or anywhere near it! Also, I apologize that this chapter is so short, but again, I don't have a lot of time to write. I'll work on that, though! Thanks for all your reviews, please keep them coming. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter Fifteen<p>

It was as if a million things had occurred at once.

Cam's mouth felt as though it had been perfectly made to slant onto my own, and the warmth from the blood pumping fiercely through our faces radiated with a force I was sure was greater than the sun itself. He held my waist with his hands ever so softly - it almost tickled. It felt as though the moment would never end, and I could by no means ever comprehend how I was that lucky. The gorgeous man who had saved my life was now claiming me as his own, and I loved it too much to think about anything else.

Until I remembered that we were surrounded by a plethora of various villagers, both from Bluebell and Konohana.

My eyes widened and I tore my lips from Cam's. My face turned an even deeper shade of brick-red as my eyes met Kana's; he wore an expression I had never seen before - it was almost a look of confusion. I had no idea what to make of it, however, as it faded almost immediately and he, along with the remaining Konohana villagers, trudged dejectedly back down the mountain in embarrassment and shame.

Howard and Laney's jaws had dropped as they observed the situation. I was suddenly interested greatly in my shoes and my eyes refused to meet anyone else's.

_What if they don't think I'm good enough for him? _I worried as paranoia took over. The thought repeated itself several times in my head until I couldn't think of anything except for Cam, and how he might have just been kissing me as a joke, and how he didn't really like me, he couldn't…

"Lillian?" I heard someone whisper. I looked up to see a wide-eyed Laney frowning slightly.

"Yeah. Sorry about that," I mumbled, my face still hot and my palms sweaty.

"Sorry?" she replied abruptly. For a split-second, I thought she was angry. Then, her pursed lips burst apart into a grin. "Two of my closest friends are together! Why, what are you sorry about?" she asked with a high-pitched giggle. "And on top of that, we won the cooking festival!"

I felt a huge weight disappear from my shoulders as Laney wrapped me in a hug. I could have Cam _and_ Laney. Then, I fully comprehended each and every word she said, and informed her that it was just a kiss - "I don't think that necessarily means we're _together_, Laney."

"Of course it does. Here, that's exactly what it means," Laney smirked. "Unless you don't want-"

"How could I not?" I interrupted her with a gargantuan grin plastered on my flushed face. "Where did Cam and Howard go?" I inquired as I noticed their absences. "Made a run for it?"

Laney laughed. "Howard's probably so excited that Cam showed _emotion_ for someone. He's usually just working all the time. He must've been bottling up his feelings for you this whole time! It's so _romantic_!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together and looking wistfully into the distance, awfully near to where Ash, Cheryl, and Jessica were standing.

"I think you should go kiss Ash," I whispered as quietly as humanly possible.

It was Laney's turn to blush. "No way. It has to be in the moment," she insisted. "If I kissed him now, Cheryl would throw a hissy-fit."

"Good point," I responded. "Let's go congratulate Jessica!"

Before Laney could protest, I grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the small family.

"Good job on your pudding, Lillian," Ash said with a grin that was almost too wide. "And on your congratulatory gift from-"

"Ash!" Jessica scolded her son, but smiled nonetheless. "You're shaping up to be a fine cook, Lillian."

"Thank you," I said after a moment of composing myself, my face painted in a new shade of scarlet. "Good job, Jessica. I'm sure your apple pie was great. It looked so delicious!"

"I made another one, you know, for the after party! Let's hurry up and go to the Town Hall before it gets cold!" Jessica suggested.

"I'll race you!" Cheryl screamed playfully at Ash, and the two began dashing down the mountain as Jessica shook her head and followed, leaving Laney and I with my pony, alone on the mountaintop.

"He didn't even talk to me," Laney noted despondently. "What did I do wrong?"

I hadn't noticed anything save his fake grin at the mention of the kiss Cam and I shared, and couldn't understand why Ash would ignore her. "He was just busy. Cheryl chased him away before he had a chance to say anything. It must be because she knows he likes you," I deducted as we mounted Luna. I couldn't think clearly - whenever I shut my eyes, all I could see were the flecks of gold mixed with the emerald green in Cam's almond-shaped eyes and the feel of his soft lips meshed with my own. The fluttering in my chest was relentless.

Laney shrugged and changed the subject back to Cam and I. "Since when do you have the hots for him?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Since… Forever," I admitted. "Since I first saw him. When he saved me."

"It'll be a great story to tell your children," Laney joked.

"I'm afraid he doesn't read into the kiss as much as we do," I said honestly.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, sweetie," Laney chuckled. "He cares for you. I can tell. I know him better than anyone, I think."

"Tell me something I don't know about him." I was desperate to know everything there possibly was to know about Cam.

"Let me think…" Laney hummed quietly as we rode Luna slowly down the mountain. "He doesn't talk a lot, but you know that. Howard is the closest thing he has to a parent, but not a blood relative. We were together for most of my childhood, but he left for school for a few years here and there. He knows French. His favorite color is purple. He has a soft spot for cats-"

"Cats?" I asked with a shiver. "They give me the creeps-"

"Don't tell him that," Laney chortled. "Kidding! I'm sure it'll be fine. He just likes to leave food out for stray cats sometimes."

"That's so sweet of him," I sighed.

"He hates chocolate," Laney informed me. "Remember that."

"Noted."

We rode the rest of the way to the Town Hall in silence. Laney must have known I could hardly concentrate on anything else with the mental images running through my mind.

_Cam kissed me._

It still felt irrational and unreal and impossible and insane and imaginary and infinitely unlikely, but it had happened.

We entered the Town Hall after tying up Luna and were greeted by thunderous applause and a firm handshake from Rutger.

"I cannot thank you enough, Lillian, for your valiant efforts in today's cooking festival. And to you, Laney, for being her mentor. Both of you will be rewarded!" Rutger announced, and before I could protest, Rutger presented me with a medal and a boxed set filled with different cooking utensils in front of the entire village of Bluebell, who eyed me with a mixture of pride and envy. To Laney, he gave a new apron and tablecloth. She was trembling with joy and shock, and Howard pulled her into a tight embrace. I watched as she joined the crowd and was congratulated by Ash, who patted her on the back.

"Thank you so much," I said to Rutger gratefully. "This means a lot! It was such a pleasure to represent this amazing village. Everything's so perfect." I blushed fiercely as I felt tears rush to my eyes.

The next thing I knew, I was being ushered to a table, and everyone sat and indulged in the delectable food that had been placed in front of us. I was too overjoyed to pay attention to what it was or who I was sitting with. Soon, music was playing, and I had drunk enough grape wine to lose what little coordination and dignity I had, and I didn't care that I had broken a promise to myself, and I couldn't think clearly, and everyone was dancing and singing with me, and I should have been embarrassed but I didn't care for some unknown reason, and Cam had to grab me to ensure that I wouldn't trip several times throughout the night, and Laney hugged me as she cried from happiness, and it was one of the few times in my life I had truly felt _at home_.

Bluebell was my family.


End file.
